Lip

//lɪp// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Either of the two fleshy protrusions around the opening of the mouth. countable

    "[…]thine owne lippes teſtifie againſt thee."

  2. 2
    Abbreviation of large igneous province. abbreviation, alt-of
  3. 3
    either the outer margin or the inner margin of the aperture of a gastropod's shell wordnet
  4. 4
    A part of the body that resembles a lip, such as the edge of a wound or the labia. countable

    "[…]I twiſted my thighs, ſqueezed, and compreſs’d the lips of that virgin-ſlit[…]"

  5. 5
    Abbreviation of litigant in person. abbreviation, alt-of
Show 13 more definitions
  1. 6
    the top edge of a vessel or other container wordnet
  2. 7
    The projecting rim of an open container or a bell, etc.; a short open spout. broadly, countable

    "The cork sails over the garden wall and lands somewhere no one can see it. A crest of white spills over the lip of the bottle and Niall pours the wine into Elaine's glass."

  3. 8
    either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking wordnet
  4. 9
    Backtalk; verbal impertinence. slang, uncountable

    "Don’t give me any lip!"

  5. 10
    an impudent or insolent rejoinder wordnet
  6. 11
    The edge of a high spot of land. countable, uncountable

    "We landed at the head of Garden Island, which is situated near the middle of the river and on the lip of the Falls. On reaching that lip, and peering over the giddy height, the wondrous and unique character of the magnificent cascade at once burst upon us."

  7. 12
    (botany) either of the two parts of a bilabiate corolla or calyx wordnet
  8. 13
    The sharp cutting edge on the end of an auger. countable, uncountable
  9. 14
    One of the two opposite divisions of a labiate corolla. countable, uncountable
  10. 15
    A distinctive lower-appearing of the three true petals of an orchid. countable, uncountable
  11. 16
    One of the edges of the aperture of a univalve shell. countable, uncountable
  12. 17
    Embouchure: the condition or strength of a wind instrumentalist's lips. colloquial, countable, uncountable
  13. 18
    Clipping of lipstick. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial, countable, uncountable

    "I put on some red lip and a casual print dress."

Verb
  1. 1
    To touch or grasp with the lips; to kiss; to lap the lips against (something). transitive

    "[…] a hand that Kings / Haue lipt, and trembled kiſſing."

  2. 2
    To touch lightly. figuratively, transitive

    "He moved the boat onward very slowly, lipping the glossy surface delicately with the light oars."

  3. 3
    To wash against a surface, lap. intransitive, transitive

    "It was very soothing and restful up there on the saloon deck, with no sound but the gentle lipping of the water as it rippled against the sides of the steamer."

  4. 4
    To rise or flow up to or over the edge of something. intransitive

    "Below, the swollen Eden, lipping full from bank to bank, rolled yellow and surly to the sea."

  5. 5
    To form the rim, edge or margin of something. transitive

    "[…] old Macrae, of Adrfeulan Farm near by, had caused rude steps to be cut in the funnel-like hollow rising sheer up from the sloping ledge that lipped the chasm and reached the summit of the scaur."

Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    To utter verbally. transitive

    "Salt tears were coming, when I heard my name / Most fondly lipp’d […]"

  2. 7
    To simulate speech by moving the lips without making any sound; to mouth. transitive

    "“Ah, I thought my memory didn’t deceive me!” he lipped silently."

  3. 8
    To make a golf ball hit the lip of the cup, without dropping in.

    "“I shall find the ball to the left of a patch of sword grass near the hole,” he said. “My second will lip the hole, I know it as well as if I could see the whole thing.”"

  4. 9
    To change the sound of (a musical note played on a wind instrument) by moving or tensing the lips. transitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English lippe, from Old English lippa, lippe (“lip”), from Proto-West Germanic *lippjō (“lip”), from Proto-Germanic *lepô, from Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“to hang loosely, droop, sag”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Lippe (“lip”), West Frisian lippe (“lip”), Dutch lip (“lip”), German Lippe and Lefze (“lip”), Low German Lippe (“lip”), Luxembourgish Lëps (“lip”), Vilamovian łyp (“lip”), Yiddish ליפּ (lip, “lip”), Danish læbe (“lip”), Norwegian Bokmål leppe (“lip”), Norwegian Nynorsk leppa, leppe, lippa, lippe (“lip”), Swedish läpp (“lip”), Latin labium (“lip”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English lippe, from Old English lippa, lippe (“lip”), from Proto-West Germanic *lippjō (“lip”), from Proto-Germanic *lepô, from Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“to hang loosely, droop, sag”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Lippe (“lip”), West Frisian lippe (“lip”), Dutch lip (“lip”), German Lippe and Lefze (“lip”), Low German Lippe (“lip”), Luxembourgish Lëps (“lip”), Vilamovian łyp (“lip”), Yiddish ליפּ (lip, “lip”), Danish læbe (“lip”), Norwegian Bokmål leppe (“lip”), Norwegian Nynorsk leppa, leppe, lippa, lippe (“lip”), Swedish läpp (“lip”), Latin labium (“lip”).

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