either of the two fleshy parts or folds forming the margins of the mouth and functioning in speech.
Usually lips these parts as organs of speech.
I heard it from his own lips.
She usually wears a dramatic red lip.
a projecting edge on a container or other hollow object.
the lip of a pitcher.
a liplike part or structure, especially of anatomy.
any edge or rim.
the edge of an opening or cavity, as of a canyon or a wound.
the lip of the crater.
Slang. impudent talk; back talk.
Don't give me any of your lip.
Botany. either of the two parts into which the corolla or calyx of certain plants, especially of the mint family, is divided.
Zoology.
a labium.
the outer or the inner margin of the aperture of a gastropod's shell.
Music. the position and arrangement of lips and tongue in playing a wind instrument; embouchure.
the cutting edge of a tool.
the blade, at the end of an auger, which cuts the chip after it has been circumscribed by the spur.
(in a twist drill) the cutting edge at the bottom of each flute.
of or relating to the lips or a lip.
lip ointment.
characterized by or made with the lips.
to read lip movements.
superficial or insincere.
to offer lip praise.
to touch with the lips.
Golf. to hit the ball over the rim of (the hole).
to utter, especially softly.
to kiss.
hang on the lips of, to listen to very attentively.
The members of the club hung on the lips of the visiting lecturer.
smack one's lips, to indicate one's keen enjoyment or pleasurable anticipation of.
We smacked our lips over the delicious meal.
button one's lip, to keep silent, especially, to refrain from revealing information: Also button up.
They told him to button his lip if he didn't want trouble.
keep a stiff upper lip,
to face misfortune bravely and resolutely.
Throughout the crisis they kept a stiff upper lip.
to suppress the display of any emotion.
bite one's lip / tongue, to repress one's anger or other emotions.
He wanted to return the insult, but bit his lip.
anatomy
either of the two fleshy folds surrounding the mouth, playing an important role in the production of speech sounds, retaining food in the mouth, etc
( as modifier )
lip salve
the corresponding part in animals, esp mammals
any structure resembling a lip, such as the rim of a crater, the margin of a gastropod shell, etc
slang impudent talk or backchat
the embouchure and control in the lips needed to blow wind and brass instruments
to stifle one's feelings
to be annoyed or irritated
slang to stop talking: often imperative
to maintain one's courage or composure during a time of trouble without giving way to or revealing one's emotions
to anticipate or recall something with glee or relish
(tr) to touch with the lip or lips
(tr) to form or be a lip or lips for
rare (tr) to murmur or whisper
(intr) to use the lips in playing a wind instrument
What does lip- mean? Lip- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “fat.” It is used in many scientific and medical terms. Lip- comes from the Greek lípos, meaning “fat.” It is not related to lip, as in the part of the mouth; that word is actually connected to the combining form labio-. The combining form lip- is also not to be confused with a second sense of lipo- meaning “lacking” or “leaving.”Lip- is a variant of lipo-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use lipo- article. You can also learn about the “lacking” sense of lipo- in this article.
First recorded before 1000; Middle English lip(pe), Old English lippa; cognate with Dutch lip, German Lippe; akin to Norwegian lepe, Latin labium
Your lips are the external, fleshy part of your mouth. You have a top lip and a bottom lip. Lips are what make kissing possible. Lips are useful when it comes to speaking, eating, and kissing. If you say that something is "on everyone's lips," you mean that it's the topic everyone seems to be talking about lately. If an angry teacher says, "Don't give me any lip!" he means "Don't be a smart mouth," or "Don't be impertinent." When you manage to keep a "stiff upper lip," you stay brave even when things get difficult.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Moisturizers, foundations, concealers, powders and lip balms have increasingly been marketed with additional sun protection in the past couple of years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
Doing laundry, cleaning the tub, getting your upper lip waxed at a nearby salon — these are all chores that fall into this category.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
He warned the latest announcement risked being "more lip service".
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
On the first day of Complainant A's evidence, Donaldson seemed to chew his lower lip as he waited for her to appear on screen.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
“Going across the sea,” said Granda, biting his lip.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
Phil New Music Group and the Master Chorale, conducted by Gershon, lip- and instrument-synced amazingly to the film.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2024
While staying mum on any details of the ceremony, Peters, a no-nonsense former captain of the Australian baseball team, promised all the singing would be live - no lip- synching.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 2, 2018
Out on some piece of road in Wartrace, Tenn., he grabs his guitar and starts lip- syncing the words to I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried.
From Time Magazine Archive
We learned to lip- read, our heads flat on the beds, turned sideways, watching each other’s mouths.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
Decked out in a glittering blue sari, Shanti stood front and center, lip- synching to the Indian love song.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
He continued to receive treatments back in South Korea, including tooth implants and having skin moved from the back of his neck to his chin to enable him to close his lips and talk properly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
His lips quivered as he held back tears.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
"Can you bear to do one more of those, ladies and gentlemen," pleads Dunkley, "while there's still blood left in your top lips?"
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
Taking place just weeks after Venezuela approved mining legislation that opens the door to private investors, authorities have kept their lips sealed about the operation.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
His words drop from his lips like stones, their weight practically makes divots in the snow.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Eventually, Ricardo loses on his final stroke—his ball does “a full wrap around the hole but lipped out”—and Adams wins.
From Slate ● Mar. 31, 2024
“Even when it kind of lipped, I thought it would lip in. I’m pretty gutted it didn’t go in.”
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 17, 2024
Schauffele had a chance for a share of second, but his birdie putt at 18 lipped out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2024
Boutier shot an 8-under 64 with eight birdies, which would have been nine had her birdie putt on the 18th not lipped out.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 29, 2023
A second wave collapsed over my feet, lipped with white froth, and the chill gripped my ankles with a mortal ache.
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
Despite his three-foot birdie try on 18 lipping out he still won by three shots and was the only player to finish in the red.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
He then missed good birdie chances at 13, 14 and 15, also lipping out at 17 as he matched the 2019 36-hole record score of Brooks Koepka at 12 under par.
From BBC ● May 17, 2024
Matsuyama had the shortest attempt — from 20 feet — and it nearly went in the cup before lipping out.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 8, 2021
Matsuyama had the shortest attempt - from 20 feet - and it nearly went in the cup before lipping out.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 8, 2021
They looked like beavers, the water lipping about their chins, yelling.
From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
