Tongs 362042 222648491 2008-06-30T12:43:03Z JMumford 7282548 Added see also [[Image:kitchen-tongs.png|thumb|Silicon-tipped locking tongs designed to withstand temperatures up to 500 degrees fahrenheit]] [[Image:Grilling-tongs.png|thumb|Long handled locking tongs designed for outdoor [[grilling]]]] {{about|the tool|the secret society|Tong (organization)}} '''Tongs''' are [[wikt:gripping|gripping]] and lifting [[tool]]s, of which there are many forms adapted to their specific use. Some are merely large [[pincer]]s or [[nipper (tool)|nipper]]s, but the greatest number fall into three classes: # Tongs which have long [[arm]]s terminating in small flat circular [[Friction#Coefficient of friction|ends of tongs]] and are pivoted close to the [[handle (grip)|handle]], as in the common fire-tongs, used for picking up pieces of [[coal]] and placing them on a [[fire]]. # Tongs consisting of a single band of [[metal]] bent round one or two bands joined at the head by a [[spring (device)|spring]], as in [[sugar]]-tongs, [[asparagus]]-tongs, and the like. # Tongs in which the [[pivot]] or [[joint]] is placed close to the gripping ends, such as [[blacksmith]]'s tongs or [[crucible]]-tongs. The tongs are the most-used [[cooking utensil]] when [[grilling]], as they provide a way to move, rotate and turn the food with delicate precision. A special form of tongs, known as "lazy-tongs," consists of a [[pair]] of grippers at the end of a series of [[lever]]s pivoted together like [[scissors]], the whole being closed or extended by the [[Motion (physics)|movement]] of the handles communicated to the first set of levers and thence to the grippers, the whole forming an extensible pair of tongs for gripping and lifting things at a [[distance]]. ==See also== *[[List of food preparation utensils|Food preparation utensils]] *[[Forceps]] *[[Tweezers]] * [[Hot cell]] (Tongs are often used in hot cells to permit the manipulation of radioactive isotopes. ==External links== {{wiktionary}} {{Metalworking - Metalworking hand tools}} [[Category:Food utensils]] [[Category:Metalworking hand tools]] [[bs:Mašice]] [[ja:トング]] [[no:Pølseklype]]