Phrase guide

tongue depressor

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A long narrow smooth piece of wood designed to depress the tongue, to allow for examination of the rear of the oral cavity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: spatula

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Any device used to depress the tongue.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncommon

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a thin depressor used to press the tongue down during an examination of the mouth and throat

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: depressor

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: բահակ (bahak) — piece of wood
  • Finnish: lasta — piece of wood
  • Ancient Greek: βούγλωσσον (boúglōsson) — piece of wood
  • Irish: spadal teanga — piece of wood
  • Japanese: 舌圧子 — piece of wood
  • Polish: szpatułka — piece of wood
  • Serbo-Croatian: спуштач језика — piece of wood
  • Swedish: tungspatel — piece of wood
  • Swedish: spatel — piece of wood
  • Turkish: dil basacağı — piece of wood
  • Catalan: abaixallengües — device used to depress the tongue
  • Czech: špátle — device used to depress the tongue
  • French: abaisse-langue — device used to depress the tongue
  • German: Mundspatel — device used to depress the tongue
  • Greek: γλωσσοπίεστρο (glossopíestro) — device used to depress the tongue
  • Ancient Greek: βούγλωσσον (boúglōsson) — device used to depress the tongue
  • Italian: abbassalingua — device used to depress the tongue
  • Polish: szpatułka — device used to depress the tongue
  • Romanian: apăsător de limbă — device used to depress the tongue
  • Russian: языкодержатель (jazykoderžatelʹ) — device used to depress the tongue