Tongue, in most vertebrates, an organ, capable of various muscular movements, located on the floor of the mouth. In some animals (e.g., frogs) it is elongated and adapted to capturing insect prey. The tongues of certain reptiles function primarily as sensory organs, whereas cats and some other mammals use their tongues as instruments for grooming and cleaning. In mammals the tongue aids in creating negative pressure within the oral cavity that enables sucking, and it is an important accessory organ in chewing and swallowing; it is also a major bearer of taste buds and, in humans, an aid to speech.
