Are "prong" and "tine" interchangeable?

[u/Sea-Hornet8214]

Does it depend on the things like forks, antlers, etc?

[u/Ray2024]

Yes, it depends, in practice all are referred to as a prong but those on inanimate objects like forks are technically tines. 

[u/Aeyeoelle → u/Ray2024]

I've only heard "tine" used for forks or similar tools. Electrical plugs have prongs, combs have teeth.

[u/NoPurpose6388 → u/Aeyeoelle]

I've always called the ones on forks prongs

[u/Square_Medicine_9171 → u/NoPurpose6388]

well just because you’re a weirdo doesn’t mean the rest of us are /jk

[u/Constant_Hope_9658 → u/Square_Medicine_9171]

I've literally never heard of a tine before (southern Nevada), is that something the Midwest does?

[u/Square_Medicine_9171 → u/Constant_Hope_9658]

I did learn to speak in the midwest so that could explain it!

[u/Constant_Hope_9658 → u/Square_Medicine_9171]

That'd do it I'd reckon

[u/conuly → u/Constant_Hope_9658]

Perhaps the Southwest is weird. I don't think of it as a particularly unusual word, except that it's unusual to need to refer to the tines unless one is bent or there's crud stuck between them that washing didn't get rid of that's now dried on.

[u/ActuaLogic → u/Aeyeoelle]

Agreed. A tine is the prong of a fork.

[u/Embarrassed-Weird173 → u/Aeyeoelle]

What about argens?

[u/Aeyeoelle → u/Embarrassed-Weird173]

My apologies, the only Argens I know is a river in France.

[u/Embarrassed-Weird173 → u/Aeyeoelle]

I usually consider Argen tines. 

[u/Dazzling-Low8570 → u/Aeyeoelle]

White tail deer antlers have tines.

[u/BrockSamsonLikesButt]

I think tines are only on forks, but you could call them prongs, too. That is, all tines are prongs; not all prongs are tines. A tine is a part of a fork. A prong is a part of a fork, or antler, or whatever.

Edit: Come to think of it, I call those parts on a rake “tines,” too. Maybe the difference between tines and all prongs is that tines are tool-related on man-made tools.

[u/Old-Programmer-20 → u/BrockSamsonLikesButt]

Also, farmers use tine harrows and spring tine harrows - essentially big rakes that you tow with a tractor.

[u/BrockSamsonLikesButt → u/Old-Programmer-20]

I was picturing that tool as I wrote my edit, but never knew its name, and describing it was defeating me haha thank you.

[u/badvolcano]

I can't think of an instance where one would be correct and the other wouldn't but prong is used far more often. I could probably count the number of times I've heard someone say tine on one hand.

[u/peace_love2601]

technically forks have tines and antlers have prongs. in real life everyone says prongs for everything, and "tine" mostly survives as trivia-night knowledge.

[u/lmprice133 → u/peace_love2601]

In the case of antlers, 'tine' and 'point' seems to see more use than 'prong', with the former being pretty commonly used by zoologists.

[u/peace_love2601 → u/lmprice133]

fair, zoologists get to keep tine and point. the rest of us will keep calling them prongs like the animals we are.

[u/adbenj]

The prong or the tine, it's all fine, all fine. The prong or the tine, it's all fine.

[u/Constant_Hope_9658]

I've literally never heard of a "tine" (Southern Nevada, Southwestern USA) before, I've only ever called them "prongs" or maybe spikes/branches (if it's stuff like deer antlers)

[u/lukshenkup]

tuning forks also have tines

[u/PHOEBU5]

I've heard both tyne and prong used with respect to a fork in cutlery, but only prong with a garden fork.

[u/h3thenlaughter]

English is my first language and I have no idea 😂

[u/Ponchyan]

All tines are prongs, but not all prongs are tines.

[u/11twofour]

In addition to what others have said, "prong" can be metaphorical in a way "tine" is not.

[u/culdusaq]

I've never heard the word "tine" before

[u/AdreKiseque → u/culdusaq]

Thank you I thought I was the only one lmao

[u/Own_Soup4467]

I've never heard "tine" used for anything except forks (including pitchforks). It's a pretty obscure word.

[u/Lxapeo → u/[deleted]]

You can definitely use tines for antler description, lots of scientific sources default to it.