kiss Hear it!

kiss Definition

kiss (kis)

transitive verb

  1. to give a kiss to (a person or thing); touch or caress with the lips
  2. to touch lightly or gently the bowling ball just kissed the pin

Etymology: ME kissen < OE cyssan, akin to Ger küssen < IE base *kus-, prob. echoic

intransitive verb

  1. to give a kiss to one another on the lips
  2. to touch one another lightly

noun

  1. a touch or caress with the lips, often with some pressure and suction, as an act of affection, desire, greeting, etc.
  2. a light, gentle touch or slight contact
    1. any of various candies
    2. a baked confection of egg white and sugar

Etymology: ME kisse < the v., replacing cosse < OE coss

kiss Related Forms

kiss′·able adjective

kiss Idioms

kiss ass

Slang, Vulgar to be obsequious or fawning, as to gain an advantage or approval

kiss goodbye

  1. to kiss in taking leave
  2. ☆ Informal to give up all hope of getting, recovering, realizing, etc.

kiss off

Slang to dismiss rudely or contemptuously

kiss Synonyms

kiss

n.

salutation, embrace, salute, endearment, osculation, touch of the lips, butterfly kiss, caress, French kiss, soul kiss, buss*, smack*, smooch*, peck*; see also touch 2.

kiss Synonyms

kiss

v.

salute, osculate, baiser (French), caress, French-kiss, soul-kiss, blow a kiss, smack*, smooch*, pet*, buss*, neck*, make out*, play post office*; see also caress, love 2, touch 1.

kiss Usage Examples

Object

  • goodbye: I don't know who to kiss goodbye first.
  • goodnight: Don't you know there's nobody left in this world to kiss goodnight?
  • gate: Go through kissing gate & continue ahead on Thames Path.
  • bride: They are traditional and make the moment when the groom kisses the bride extra special.
  • cheek: Nobody ever stopped us, an incredible fact these days when a 6 year old can be removed from school for kissing a cheek.
  • girl: By which time... he will have kissed a girl!

Preposition: on

  • cheek: It wasn't the usual kiss on the cheek.
  • lip: She gets in and gives the driver a lingering kiss on the lips.

Converse of object

  • linger: She gets in and gives the driver a lingering kiss on the lips.
  • blow: And this afternoon I blew a kiss to my wife, and she slammed the door on my face.
  • steal: From time to time, Grim steals a fleeting kiss from my lips and a shiver of fear passes through me.

Adjective modifier

  • chaste: It was a chaste kiss, but Hera could feel the passion and promise in it.
  • passionate: Spike and Buffy end up in a passionate kiss.

Modifies a noun

clasp: The metal frame is covered in snake sin and has a simple gold tone metal kiss clasp.

Noun used with modifier

  • goodnight: We could still touch him, talk to him and give him a goodnight kiss!
  • farewell: Their lustful farewell kiss could no more adequately have expressed what Pappano was unleashing from the orchestra at this point.
  • tender: The Hollywood heartthrob made Princess Beatrice and Eugenie's night by greeting them with a tender kiss on the cheek.

Preposition: of

death: I said good luck to him, and thereby gave him the kiss of death.

Preposition: under

mistletoe: Perhaps the modern custom of kissing under the mistletoe at Christmas is a remnant of this pagan custom.