noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a cry escapes sb/sb’s lips
▪
A cry escaped her lips as he tightened his grip on her wrist.
bite your lip (= because you are upset or not sure what to say )
▪
She paused uncertainly, biting her lip.
chew your lip/nails
cleft lip
have a smile on your face/lips
▪
They all had broad smiles on their faces.
keep a stiff upper lip
▪
Men were taught to keep a stiff upper lip .
lip balm
lip gloss
lip salve
lip service
▪
organizations that pay lip service to career development
lips pouted
▪
Her full lips pouted slightly.
moistened...lips (= made her lips wet with her tongue )
▪
She moistened her lips .
sb’s bottom lip
▪
Her bottom lip trembled and she started to cry.
split...lip
▪
She fell against a table and split her lip .
thin arms/legs/lips etc
▪
He has long thin hands.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
bottom
▪
Her teeth sank into her bottom lip , biting back a cry, and she winced.
▪
The bottom lip fattens and pushes out beyond the lower lip.
▪
His teeth closed lightly on her bottom lip .
▪
Her bottom lip is fat and purple and there's a split down the middle.
▪
Kate chewed on her bottom lip .
▪
She drew in her breath sharply and bit down hard on her bottom lip in an effort not to cry out.
▪
The bottom lip protrudes in sullen, worried anticipation.
▪
She looked up at him expectantly, her mouth open, the bottom lip raised, almost brutal in what it implied.
dry
▪
She licked her very dry lips and refused to succumb to the temptation of another drink.
▪
I would calm my rage, moisten my dry lips , force his return if only by the strength of my desire.
▪
He looked up one last time at the grey edifice, licking dry lips .
▪
I am growing weak, oh so weak; my tongue is dry , my lips are parched.
▪
His narrow tongue flicked once across each dry lip .
▪
His tongue flicked nervously across dry lips as he prepared to open the lid.
▪
Use the tiniest amount of a matt, dry lip pencil - it lasts longer than lipstick and it won't run.
▪
Vi pulled a dry tongue around dry lips .
full
▪
And then a smile, full lips curling, eyes sparkling.
▪
For had not Caswell been beautiful - his full , sensuous lips , whispering honeyed words.
▪
At the same time, his full lower lip projected in a way that warned you to be careful.
▪
He looked at her wide mouth, the full lips that kissed him so often and so lusciously.
▪
How soft the cheeks, how shining the eyes, how full the lips !
▪
She wore no make-up but had classic features, a straight nose, full lips and fine eyes.
▪
Kate read the expression in his eyes and parted her full lips to speak.
low
▪
He extended his lower lip and exhaled.
▪
He nervously bites his lower lip and slowly shakes his head.
▪
Her mouth was full, and a half-moon of light accentuated the lustrous curve of her lower lip .
▪
His lower jaw, lips and nose had been infested with open sores and scabs, much of the flesh eaten away.
▪
There are no teeth, no long, lower-jaw, no huge lower lip and hardly any tongue.
▪
Chewing on her lower lip , she trundled after him along a flagged passageway and up an ornate wooden staircase.
▪
Her cheeks are flushed the fluorescent melon orange that also glimmers on her lower lip .
parted
▪
His own eyes gazed down at her, watching the tip of her tongue pass unconsciously over her parted lips .
▪
Cheryl ran the tip of her tongue round her parted lips .
▪
He was still looking into her eyes and his mouth found her parted lips .
▪
He had to get closer, had to touch the statue, had to touch those parted lips .
▪
She stirred and snuggled towards him, a low murmur of peace escaping from slightly parted lips .
▪
Fifty or sixty perfect, pointed teeth gleamed between his parted lips .
▪
He kept his head turned towards Mary, though, as between parted lips they licked the tips of each other's tongues.
red
▪
Only his bright red lips and large blue eyes stood out from the general blackness.
▪
Her cheeks were paler, her teeth more regular, and her red lips thinner than most country girls'.
▪
Then she opens her pretty red lips and smiles with pretty white teeth.
▪
Sylvie sidling, smiling with red lips .
▪
Orlane and Clinique also favour red for lips and versatile, fleshy tones for eyes.
▪
She smiles out of plump, red lips .
▪
Their faces, stylised with oval, almond eyes and red lips , were disconcerting.
stiff
▪
Paul didn't keep a stiff upper lip because that was the way that he thought that Christians should behave.
▪
Oh, hello, guys; stiff lip , stiff lip....
▪
All he could produce was a stiff upper lip , while young Lady C cast meaningful looks at sturdy gamekeeper Mellors.
▪
The stiff upper lip is a barrier against the trembling which could lead to tears.
▪
Election losers, for instance, are traditionally expected to keep a stiff upper lip and not let their disappointment show.
▪
So please, leave the stiff upper lip to one side, at home at least.
▪
The Ulster Unionist security spokesman maintained a stiff upper lip as he had his moustache shaved off - for charity.
thin
▪
Paler, shiny colours help thin lips look more full.
▪
The shell of a young, actively growing Nucella has a thin sharp lip .
▪
His dark skin glistens, his slanted eyes above his high cheekbones are cruel, his thin lips are determined.
▪
She has a narrow face, deep-set eyes, sharp nose and thin lips .
▪
His spare middle-aged frame is topped by a large head with sallow cheeks, thin lips , and receding chin.
▪
A martyr of tolerance, I think she would like not to just purse her thin prim lips .
▪
They were humanoids: short, Caucasian but hairless, with thin lips and bulging black eyes.
top
▪
The area between his gashed top lip and his nose was heavily bruised.
▪
Her breath came in puffs, ruffling her top lip .
▪
It is as thick as baby food and leaves a soft sediment on his top lip .
▪
She heard teeth shatter under the impact, saw one of them driven through his top lip .
▪
He slammed the straight edge into his opponent's face, taking him between top lip and nostrils.
▪
A sheen of sweat had appeared above Paulie's top lip .
▪
But he rubbed his forefinger guiltily against his top lip while he pondered the implications of a new insight.
upper
▪
Paul didn't keep a stiff upper lip because that was the way that he thought that Christians should behave.
▪
He pressed a large white mustache on to his upper lip .
▪
With hands in sleeves, the old man looked extremely Oriental, long moustaches curving down from the upper lip .
▪
This time the thumb was in the mouth while the index finger was placed between the gums and the upper lip .
▪
She was drinking her tea, making a comfortable watery chirrup as her long upper lip drew the tea into her mouth.
▪
The upper lip was steep and prominent.
▪
Sweat filmed his forehead and beaded his upper lip .
▪
Her long upper lip is drawn down taut.
■ NOUN
service
▪
Politicians pay lip service to crime.
▪
That they were now even giving lip service to these ideas is significant.
▪
The hon. Gentleman should be ashamed of the lip service that he has paid to employment by continuing to outline such policies.
▪
It pays lip service to local choices but provides no specific means to make them more rational and efficient.
▪
This is in spite of the lip service paid to the proud independence of the States.
▪
Little has really changed despite lip service paid to the democratic process.
▪
Unfortunately, the system is such that we often pay only lip service to this very important area.
▪
It has been a problem, despite all the lip service given it over the years.
■ VERB
bite
▪
He nervously bites his lower lip and slowly shakes his head.
▪
Billy Bibbit shivered in the cold and bit his lip .
▪
She bit her lip over the length, but there was little she could do about it.
▪
I flushed and bit my lip .
▪
She bit her lip , weighing up in her confused mind where to run.
▪
She bit her lip , caught between natural caution and an untypical desire to live dangerously.
▪
He groaned a little and Eline bit her lip seeing the pain etched on his face.
▪
He bit his lip , clenching his fists.
chew
▪
Emily chewed her lip , thinking about Hari and Craig.
▪
He chewed his lower lip in a grudging silence.
▪
Still trying to pull herself together, Merrill chewed her inner lip crossly.
▪
Walter flew out the door; leaving Gordy and Ivan chewing their lips and wringing their hands.
▪
Janine chewed her lip , staring spitefully at her child.
▪
Kate chewed on her bottom lip .
▪
Prince William, 10, chewed his lip anxiously while eight-year-old Harry stared wistfully ahead, dreaming of Christmases past.
curl
▪
The latter was aptly named, so tart that the first gulp curled your lips back.
▪
He wanted to curl lip in the doorway, for the night.
▪
Amber was forced to notice him, but instead of apologising, she curled her lips into an ugly snarl.
▪
But at that time, biologists also saw sick, disoriented manatees acting strangely by curling their lips and arching their backs.
▪
Had I been allowed to puddle around on my own, people today might curl their lips at Faldo's approach.
▪
A self-satisfied smile curled over her lips .
▪
The sea, rather than dipping to the horizon, curled up like the lip of a dish.
▪
A cucumber sandwich is curling its lip .
kiss
▪
No kissing on the lips , no exchanging hotel room numbers.
▪
Gently, he brought his face down on to Joe's and kissed him on his lips .
▪
I said, bending over and kissing him on the lips .
▪
At the moment the two sides joined, they kissed like lips .
lick
▪
A rare, special smell that should have had her licking her lips and counting the hours until lunch.
▪
I cleared my throat, licked my lips .
▪
He looked up one last time at the grey edifice, licking dry lips .
▪
He licked his lips and looked at my laughing mouth.
▪
They lounge round my chair now, staring at the chaplain and licking their lips .
▪
Digby could almost hear the commentators licking their lips .
▪
Duvall licked his lips , looked at Cardiff ... and pulled open the door.
moisten
▪
She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue and his sudden tension told her she was right.
▪
I would calm my rage, moisten my dry lips , force his return if only by the strength of my desire.
▪
She moistened her lips , feeling the raised and tender flesh where her teeth had bitten through.
▪
If he or she has difficulty in speaking, moistening the tongue and lips can be helpful.
▪
She didn't feel him bathe her forehead or moisten her lips from time to time.
▪
Swallowing, she moistened her lips .
▪
His mouth closed to moisten suddenly dry lips .
move
▪
Madeleine started adding up again, nodding her head as her eyes strayed down the page, moving her lips .
▪
Those of you who move your lips when you read may take a 30-second break to rest your facial muscles.
▪
He just moved his lips as he stared out there.
▪
It means, young man, that you will have to move your lips .
▪
Only as the men left did he relax sufficiently to give Constance a glance of bitter complicity and move his lips soundlessly.
▪
The figures on the screen seemed to be shaking with the ague and they moved their lips like mutes.
▪
Nicola moved her lips along Richard's neck and nuzzled his ear lobe delicately.
▪
Black teeth and black tongue moving , black lips quite near, saying over and over, My name is Kip.
part
▪
His mouth found hers, and she parted her lips in response.
▪
On her parted lips a mysterious, an unspeakable question trembled.
▪
He lay back and she stretched her body over his, leaning to his mouth and parting his lips with her tongue.
▪
The wart crept out between his parted lips .
▪
She then parted Charlie's lips expertly before her tongue began to play with his.
▪
His tongue parted her lips sensuously and then he drew so hard on her mouth that her last vestige of hope disappeared.
▪
She parted her lips for him as his mouth closed over hers once again and refused to consider where for ever might end.
▪
Kate read the expression in his eyes and parted her full lips to speak.
pass
▪
When it does, I promise not a drop will pass my lips before dinner.
▪
Oh, there were times when a few drops of liquid refreshment passed their lips .
▪
Though one would think not a morsel had passed her lips for months.
▪
As the words passed their lips they became trees, but still they were together.
pay
▪
Society pays noisy lip service to monogamy but, in reality, encourages affairs.
▪
It pays lip service to local choices but provides no specific means to make them more rational and efficient.
▪
Local authorities are expected to pay more than lip service to this requirement.
▪
Most politicians have only paid them lip service, they complain.
▪
Unfortunately, the system is such that we often pay only lip service to this very important area.
▪
The conventional methodology tends to pay lip service to user involvement.
▪
Though everybody pays lip service to performance, politics is often the ultimate arbiter of their fate.
▪
They pay lip service to equality but they don't want to have to do anything committed about it.
play
▪
She found the make-up room and went in, a faint smile playing about her lips as she looked round.
▪
A smile played again about her lips .
▪
He leaned back in the chair, a slight smile playing on his lips .
▪
The smile that had played on his lips throughout the game was gone.
▪
Only Brenna let a twisted smile play around her lips as the verdicts were announced.
▪
She checked her reflection, a tiny smile playing about her lips .
▪
That's the flneur, caught in the spotlight, blushing perhaps but with a wry smile playing around his lips .
▪
But at last she looked up at him, a soft contented smile playing about her lips .
press
▪
But she pressed her lips tightly together and rode steadily on.
▪
What holds him back from pressing his lips upon those lips with brown lipstick?
▪
She shivered and pressed her lips against his skin.
▪
She rolled over on top of him pressing her lips against his, her tongue teasing, her hand rocking him.
▪
Bob Southwell only pressed his lips together and didn't say anything.
▪
He drew her towards him, in play, and pressed his lips on her lips.
▪
Slowly Ruth ran her hand across his chest and pressed her lips to his flesh once again.
purse
▪
She pursed her lips and blew on the baby's squashed, immobile face.
▪
As he read he pursed his lips .
▪
She pursed her lips and rubbed a hand over her thick brown hair.
▪
The baby may continue to move, sometimes smiling, frowning, or pursing the lips .
▪
And Goldberg, pursing his lips in concentration, flicking the hair out of his eyes, typed furiously on.
▪
He squinted, pursing his lips .
▪
Kinnear picked up his cards and pursed his lips and sucked in his breath and looked at his hand.
▪
I pursed my lips and shook my head.
read
▪
The Budget also marked a head-on collision between Conservative Party election promises and the real world, however. Read their lips .
▪
They have to read her lips .
▪
There was a boy at school who was deaf, but he could read lips so we didn't have to shout.
▪
As he read he pursed his lips .
▪
When he uttered his infamous words' Read my lips .
▪
The men gathered around the window, looking in, trying to read lips .
▪
But this kind of charm must not deflect us from what de Man is saying. Read his lips .
▪
At 12, she taught herself to read lips .
smack
▪
The chimpanzee then pulls out the grass stem and picks off the termites with its teeth, smacking its lips with pleasure.
▪
She begins cackling, smacking her lips , like a child thinking of a turkey dinner.
▪
Granny Weatherwax smacked her lips , like some one emerging from a very deep sleep.
▪
The woman seemed to be smacking her lips over every word.
▪
He smacked his lips and stroked his moustache with surprise.
▪
Shove his face into his own shit, they were learning, and he will devour it, smacking his lips .
▪
Cranston snored gently like a child, muttering now and again and smacking his lips .
▪
The young one smacked his lips .
smile
▪
She looked at Graham, not smiling , then her lips trembled and a small smile did appear.
▪
There is little emotion in her eyes, no smile on her lips .
▪
Sylvie sidling, smiling with red lips .
▪
But he smiled with his lips , as usual, giving no clue to change.
▪
That Katherine smiled with her lips open.
touch
▪
And it was no wonder that she hadn't touched his lips with hers.
▪
During these efforts, her fleshy nose could touch her lips .
▪
A bitter smile touched his lips at that, for hadn't Grainne long since been lost?
▪
He tasted warm wetness on his tongue and touched his lip and took away a bloodied finger.
▪
Disappointment! dash not from my trembling hand the bowl which almost touches my lips .
▪
The pink tip of a tongue touched her pale lips .
▪
Boris touched his lips then looked at the smear of blood on his hand.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a fat lip
bring a smile to sb's lips/face
▪
He and Stapleton can associate to their hearts' content and that's something to bring a smile to his face.
▪
It brought a smile to her lips.
▪
Nothing was more likely to bring a smile to his face than being told he was talked about.
▪
She invented a hundred little things to make him happy, to bring a smile to his face.
▪
The thought brought a smile to his face.
▪
Their screams of horror and cries for mercy only brought a smile to my face.
▪
We thank him profusely, and manage to bring a smile to his face.
curl of sb's lip/mouth
▪
David had always treated them with a superior curl of the lip.
dry mouth/skin/lips/hair etc
▪
Finesse's hairspray formulations are non-sticky, and yet give perfect control when applied to dry hair.
▪
For 24 hours a day, the irritation caused by severely dry skin verges on torture.
▪
In places the green is so thick on the page that it develops a gloss like the dried skin of oil paint.
▪
Just as you care for dry skin on the face, the scalp needs a soothing touch ... gentle cleansing and moisturising.
▪
Make sure you use a moisturising shampoo and conditioner for dry hair.
▪
Simply spray Hot Shapes on to clean, dry hair before setting to get instant hold with a glossy finish.
▪
Specific questioning showed symptoms of dry eyes and dry mouth.
▪
There may be a dry burning sensation; a dry mouth, ropy mucus, mouth ulcers.
fall from sb's lips
▪
In her excitement, words fell from her lips in a torrent.
▪
No false word ever falls from his lips.
give sb a smack on the lips/cheek
lick your lips
▪
A rare, special smell that should have had her licking her lips and counting the hours until lunch.
▪
Digby could almost hear the commentators licking their lips.
▪
He licked his lips and looked at my laughing mouth.
▪
He bared his teeth and licked his lips, as Blackberry had done before the dead hedgehog on the road.
▪
Plummer licked his lips and frowned.
▪
She licked her lips and read fast.
▪
The other licks his lips, and stares at Slothrop.
not pass sb's lips
pay lip service to sb/sth
▪
It pays lip service to local choices but provides no specific means to make them more rational and efficient.
▪
Politicians pay lip service to crime.
▪
Previous governments have paid lip service to the idea but achieved little.
▪
The conventional methodology tends to pay lip service to user involvement.
▪
The professors all pay lip service to welcoming every point of view, but most really do not.
▪
They pay lip service to equality but they don't want to have to do anything committed about it.
▪
Though everybody pays lip service to performance, politics is often the ultimate arbiter of their fate.
▪
We need to stop paying lip service to them.
read my lips
read sb's lips
rosebud mouth/lips
▪
Corrie had a short, snub nose and rosebud mouth, and her eyes were a smoky grey.
▪
I looked down at the perfect rosebud lips, the determined chin and the tiny clenched fists of my cub.
▪
The rosebud mouth was painted a glowing coral pink, an exotic contrast with her creamy olive skin, liquid dark eyes.
smack your lips
▪
Cranston snored gently like a child, muttering now and again and smacking his lips.
▪
Granny Weatherwax smacked her lips, like some one emerging from a very deep sleep.
▪
He smacked his lips and stroked his moustache with surprise.
▪
She begins cackling, smacking her lips, like a child thinking of a turkey dinner.
▪
Shove his face into his own shit, they were learning, and he will devour it, smacking his lips.
▪
The chimpanzee then pulls out the grass stem and picks off the termites with its teeth, smacking its lips with pleasure.
▪
The woman seemed to be smacking her lips over every word.
▪
The young one smacked his lips.
stiff upper lip
▪
All he could produce was a stiff upper lip, while young Lady C cast meaningful looks at sturdy gamekeeper Mellors.
▪
Election losers, for instance, are traditionally expected to keep a stiff upper lip and not let their disappointment show.
▪
Paul didn't keep a stiff upper lip because that was the way that he thought that Christians should behave.
▪
So please, leave the stiff upper lip to one side, at home at least.
▪
The stiff upper lip is a barrier against the trembling which could lead to tears.
▪
The Ulster Unionist security spokesman maintained a stiff upper lip as he had his moustache shaved off - for charity.
zip it/zip your lip
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
Her lower lip was red and swollen.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
He had his eyes shut and his lips moved devoutly.
▪
He licks his lips nervously, but he doesn't move.
▪
He was sitting on the wooden lip of the hot tub.
▪
Sometimes her lips moved and she muttered something in a low tone.
▪
You're fined sixpence for lip .