thong (n.)

Old English þwong, þwang "narrow strip of leather" (used as a cord, band, strip, etc.), from Proto-Germanic *thwang- (source also of Old Norse þvengr), from PIE root *twengh- "to press in on, to restrain" (source also of Old English twengan "to pinch, squeeze"). As a kind of sandal, first attested 1965; as a kind of bikini briefs, 1990.

Entries linking to thong

twinge (n.)

1540s, "a pinch, a nipping," from obsolete verb twinge "to pinch, tweak," from Old English twengan "to pinch," from Proto-Germanic *twangjan (source also of Old Frisian thwinga, Old Norse þvinga, Danish tvinge, Dutch dwingen, Old High German thwingan, German zwingen "to compel, force"), from PIE *twengh- "to press in on" (see thong). Meaning "sharp, sudden minor pain" is recorded from c. 1600. Figurative sense (with reference to shame, remorse, etc.) is recorded from 1620s.

wang (n.)

"penis," 1933, slang, probably from whangdoodle, an earlier term for "gadget, thing for which the correct name is not known." Many such words (thingy, dingus, etc.) have been used in slang for "penis," not because the actual name was unknown, but because it was unmentionable. Another possibility is that the slang word is a variant of whang "large, thick slice" (1630s), which earlier was used in the sense of "thong" (1530s) and is itself a variant of thwang, an alternative form of thong (see thong). In Old English, wang meant "cheek, jaw," hence wangtoð "cheek-tooth, molar."

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updated on January 29, 2014

Definitions of thong from WordNet

thong (n.)

leather strip that forms the flexible part of a whip;

Synonyms: lash

thong (n.)

underpants resembling a G-string; worn by women especially under very tight pants;

she wore thongs in her quest for the callipygian ideal

thong (n.)

a thin strip of leather; often used to lash things together;

thong (n.)

minimal clothing worn by stripteasers; a narrow strip of fabric that covers the pubic area, passes between the thighs, and is supported by a waistband;

Synonyms: G-string

thong (n.)

a backless sandal held to the foot by a thong between the big toe and the second toe;

Synonyms: flip-flop

Etymologies are not definitions. From wordnet.princeton.edu, not affiliated with etymonline.

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