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.
Phrases and idioms:
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.
Derivatives:
kissable adj.
Etymology: OE cyssan f. Gmc