tonglike

Tonglike is an adjective used to describe objects or structures that resemble a tongue in appearance. A tonglike form is typically elongated and may be broad at the base, tapering to a rounded tip, producing a curved, fingerlike silhouette. The term is descriptive and non-technical, used across disciplines to convey shape.

The word derives from tongue, from Old English tung, with the suffix -like meaning "resembling." It has been used in scientific and academic writing to communicate form without implying function.

In anatomy and paleontology, tonglike projections or lobes describe parts that extend outward in a manner reminiscent of a tongue. The lingula, a small tongue-shaped projection on some bones, provides a historical example of the morphological sense of the term.

In botany, tonglike leaves, petals, or bracts are elongated with a rounded or oblong tip. The descriptor helps distinguish such forms from more linear or spear-shaped counterparts.

In geology and glaciology, tonglike shapes can describe elongated extensions such as ice tongues or tonglike deltas, where material extends along a defined axis from a larger mass.

See also: tongue (anatomy), lingula, tongue-shaped.