Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
TONG
I. noun
Etymology: Chinese (Guangdong) tòhng, literally, hall
Date: 1883
a secret society or fraternal organization especially of Chinese in the United States formerly notorious for gang warfare,
II. verb
Etymology: tongs
Date: 1868
transitive verb to take, gather, hold, or handle with tongs , intransitive verb to use tongs especially in taking or gathering something, tonger noun