Lip

Pronunciation

• enPR: lÄ­p, IPA: /lɪp/
• Rhymes: -ɪp

Origin

From Middle English lippe, from Old English lippe, lippa ("lip"), from Proto-Germanic *lipjô ("lip"), from Proto-Indo-European *leb- ("to hang loosely, droop, sag"). Cognate with Eastern Frisian lip ("lip"), Dutch lip ("lip"), German Lippe and Lefze ("lip"), Swedish läpp ("lip"), Norwegian leppe ("lip"), Latin labium ("lip"), Russian to kiss.

Full definition of lip

Noun

1. (countable) Either of the two fleshy protrusions around the opening of the mouth.
• Bible, Jeb. xv. 6Thine own lips testify against thee.
2. (countable) A part of the body that resembles a lip, such as the edge of a wound or the labia.
3. (countable) The projecting rim of an open container; a short open spout.
4. (slang, uncountable) Backtalk; verbal impertinence.Don’t give me any lip!
5. The edge of a high spot of land.
• 1913, D. H. Lawrence, ,They toiled forward along a tiny path on the river’s lip. Suddenly it vanished. The bank was sheer red solid clay in front of them, sloping straight into the river.
• 1894, David Livingstone, A Popular Account of Dr Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi and its Tributaries,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.
6. The sharp cutting edge on the end of an auger.
7. (botany) One of the two opposite divisions of a labiate corolla.
8. (botany) The distinctive petal of the Orchis family.
9. (zoology) One of the edges of the aperture of a univalve shell.

Synonyms

• (either of the fleshy protrusions around the mouth) labium (medical term)
• (part of body resembling a lip) labium medical
• (rim of an open container) edge, rim
• (impertinence) backchat, cheek informal, impudence, rudeness

Derived terms

Verb

1. To touch with the lips; to kiss or lick; to lap the lips against something.
• PraedThe bubble on the wine which breaks
  Before you lip the glass.
• ShakespeareA hand that kings
  Have lipped and trembled kissing.
2. To utter verbally.
3. To simulate speech merely by lip-movement, as suffices for a lip-reader.
4. (sports) to make a golf ball hit the lip of the cup, without dropping in.----