Idioms about lip
Origin of lip
OTHER WORDS FROM lip
lip·less, adjectivelip·like, adjectiveout·lip, verb (used with object), out·lipped, out·lip·ping.un·der·lip, nounOther definitions for lip (2 of 2)
WORDS THAT USE LIP-
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.
Examples of lip-
A word you may have encountered that features the combining form lip- is lipid, “any of a group of organic compounds that are greasy to the touch, insoluble in water, and soluble in alcohol and ether.” In everyday language, it is often used as a synonym for “fat.”
The first part of the word, lip-, means “fat.” The second part of the word, -id, is a variant of -ide, which is used to indicate chemical compounds. Lipid literally translates to “fatty chemical.”
What are some words that use or are related to the combining form lip-?
What are some other forms that lip- may be commonly confused with?