kiss

¹

[kis]

verb (used with object)

1. to touch or press with the lips slightly pursed, and then often to part them and to emit a smacking sound, in an expression of affection, love, greeting, reverence, etc..

   He kissed his son on the cheek.

2. to join lips with in this way.

   She kissed him and left.

3. to touch gently or lightly.

   The breeze kissed her face.

4. to put, bring, take, etc., by, or as if by, kissing.

   She kissed the baby's tears away.

5. Billiards, Pool.,  (of a ball) to make slight contact with or brush (another ball).

verb (used without object)

1. to join lips in respect, affection, love, passion, etc..

   They kissed passionately.

2. to express a thought, feeling, etc., by a contact of the lips.

   They kissed goodbye at the station.

3. to purse and then part the lips, emitting a smacking sound, as in kissing someone.

4. Billiards, Pool.,  (of a ball) to carom gently off or touch another ball.

noun

1. an act or instance of kissing.

2. a slight touch or contact.

3. Billiards, Pool.,  the slight touch of one ball by another.

4. a baked confection of egg whites and confectioners' sugar, served as a cookie.

5. a piece of toffeelike confectionery, sometimes containing nuts, coconut, or the like.

6. a small, sometimes conical, bite-size piece of chocolate, usually individually wrapped.

verb phrase

1. kiss off

   1. to reject, dismiss, or ignore.

      He kissed off their objections with a wave of his hand.

   2. (used to express contemptuous rejection or dismissal).

   3. to give up, renounce, or dispense with.

      Leaving Tulsa meant kissing off a promising job.

KISS

²

[kis]

noun

1. keep it simple, stupid: the principle that a product, service, system, etc., should be easy to learn and use.

kiss

¹

/ kɪs /

verb

1. (tr) to touch with the lips or press the lips against as an expression of love, greeting, respect, etc

2. (intr) to join lips with another person in an act of love or desire

3. to touch (each other) lightly

   their hands kissed

4. billiards (of balls) to touch (each other) lightly while moving

noun

1. the act of kissing; a caress with the lips

2. a light touch

3. a small light sweet or cake, such as one made chiefly of egg white and sugar

   coffee kisses

KISS

²

abbreviation

1. keep it simple, stupid

Other Word Forms

• outkiss verb (used with object)
• unkissed adjective
• kissable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of kiss¹

before 900; Middle English kissen to kiss, Old English cyssan (cognate with German küssen, Old Norse kyssa ), derivative of Old English coss a kiss; cognate with Old Norse koss, German Küss

Word History and Origins

Origin of kiss¹

Old English cyssan, from coss; compare Old High German kussen, Old Norse kyssa

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. kiss ass, to be obsequious; fawn.

2. blow / throw a kiss, to indicate an intended kiss from a distance, usually in bidding farewell, by kissing one's own fingertips and moving the hand toward the person greeted.

Example Sentences

"It is amazing. Everybody wants to say hello, everyone wants to give you a kiss and say welcome."

From BBC

Beneath the protective embrace of her brothers, Caroline, leaning forward, kisses Gisèle on the cheek.

From BBC

Using this logic, I could almost write “JD Vance kills and eats babies,” and when — justifiably — challenged about it, I could insist it’s not a lie because he kisses babies with his mouth.

From Salon

Time-travelling to Swift's high school days in Tennessee, it reminisces about a boy she confined to the friend zone while yearning for a single kiss.

From BBC

From out of the past, Laboe spoke to a woman who wanted him to blow a kiss through the radio to a man far away.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• brush 
• glance 
• graze 
• greet 
• salute