v. & n.
v. 1 tr. touch with the lips, esp. as a sign of love, affection, greeting, or reverence. 2 tr. express (greeting or farewell) in this way. 3 absol. (of two persons) touch each others' lips in this way. 4 tr. (also absol.) (of a snooker ball etc. in motion) lightly touch (another ball).
n. 1 a touch with the lips in kissing. 2 the slight impact when one snooker ball etc. lightly touches another. 3 a small sweetmeat or piece of confectionery. kiss and tell recount one's sexual exploits. kiss a person's arse coarse sl. act obsequiously towards a person. kiss away remove (tears etc.) by kissing. kiss-curl a small curl of hair on the forehead, at the nape, or in front of the ear. kiss the dust submit abjectly; be overthrown. kiss goodbye to colloq. accept the loss of. kiss the ground prostrate oneself as a token of homage. kissing cousin (or kin or kind) a distant relative (given a formal kiss on occasional meetings). kissing-gate Brit. a gate hung in a V- or U-shaped enclosure, to let one person through at a time. kiss of death an apparently friendly act which causes ruin. kiss off sl. 1 dismiss, get rid of. 2 go away, die. kiss of life mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. kiss of peace Eccl. a ceremonial kiss, esp. during the Eucharist, as a sign of unity. kiss the rod accept chastisement submissively. kissable adj.
[ OE cyssan f. Gmc ]