lip

1 of 4

noun

ˈlip 

1

: either of two fleshy folds that surround the mouth in humans and many other vertebrates and are organs of human speech essential to certain articulations

also : the red or pinkish margin of the human lip

2

slang : back talk

3

a

: a fleshy edge or margin (as of a wound)

b

: labium

c

: labellum sense 1

d

: a limb of a labiate corolla

4

a

: the edge of a hollow vessel or cavity

b

: a projecting edge: such as

(1)

: the beveled upper edge of the mouth of an organ flue pipe

(2)

: the sharp cutting edge on the end of a tool (such as an auger)

(3)

: a short spout (as on a pitcher)

c

: edge sense 2

5

: embouchure

lipless

ˈlip-ləs 

adjective

liplike

ˈlip-ˌlīk 

adjective

lip

2 of 4

adjective

1

: insincere

lip praise

2

: produced with the participation of the lips : labial

lip consonants

lip

3 of 4

verb

lipped; lipping

transitive verb

1

: to touch with the lips

especially : kiss

2

: utter

3

: to lap against : lick

4

: to hit (a putt) so that the ball hits the edge of the cup but fails to drop in

—usually used with out

intransitive verb

: to hit the edge of the cup without dropping in

—used with out

the putt lipped out

lip-

4 of 4

combining form

variants or lipo-

: fat : fatty tissue : fatty

lipoid

lipoprotein

Synonyms

Adjective

• artificial
• backhanded
• counterfeit
• double
• double-dealing
• double-faced
• fake
• feigned
• hypocritical
• insincere
• Janus-faced
• jive [slang]
• left-handed
• mealy
• mealymouthed
• Pecksniffian
• phony
• phoney
• phony-baloney
• phoney-baloney
• pretended
• two-faced
• unctuous

Verb

• bathe
• lap
• lave
• splash
• wash

Examples of lip in a Sentence

Noun

He had a cut on his lip.

She was nervously biting her lip.

the lips of a wound

the lip of a crater

the lip of a pitcher

Adjective

part of the ritual of the awards ceremony is the nominee's lip praise for the performances of his or her competitors

Verb

the waves, reflecting the red glow of the sunset, gently lipped the prow

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

All too often, the words that emerge from our lips are no match for the deliciousness that goes in. —Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024

Don’t forget eye protection, such as sunglasses or goggles, to guard against glare, and always apply sunscreen and SPF lip balm—even in winter, Norway’s sun can be surprisingly strong from February thru April. —David Nikel, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024

Adjective

While lip reading is commonly used as a way for those with hearing disabilities to understand speech and conversations, it’s also called upon for legal matters and police investigations. —Emily Holgate, refinery29.com, 19 Jan. 2024

Also, lip skin is thinner, making blood vessels more apparent. —Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2024

Verb

Swift is often closely watched at games, with people filming her every move, attempting to lip read her conversations and even noticing when her jewellery slips off. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024

Kim faced her own ups and downs, twice lipping out putts on her back nine to finish with a 74. —Mark Anderson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English lippa; akin to Old High German leffur lip and probably to Latin labium, labrum lip

Combining form

New Latin, from Greek, from lipos — more at leave

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1558, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1589, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing lip

• button one's lip/lips
• cleft lip
• curl one's lip
• dorsal lip
• keep one's lip/lips buttoned
• lip curled
• lip gloss
• lip-lock
• lip-read
• lip service
• lip-smacking
• lip-sync
• lip-syncer
• lip-synch
• stiff upper lip
• zip one's lip

Kids Definition

lip

1 of 2 noun

ˈlip 

1

: either of the two fleshy folds that surround the mouth

2

slang : back talk sense 3

3

a

: a fleshy edge or margin

lips of a wound

b

: a part or structure of a plant or animal that resembles a lip (as the protruding part of an orchid's corolla)

4

: the edge of a hollow container especially where it is slightly spread out

lipless

-ləs 

adjective

liplike

-ˌlīk 

adjective

lip

2 of 2 adjective

: spoken with the lips only : not sincere

lip service

Medical Definition

lip

noun

ˈlip 

1

: either of the two fleshy folds which surround the opening of the mouth in humans and many other vertebrates and in humans are organs of speech essential to certain articulations

also : the pinkish or reddish margin of a human lip composed of nonglandular mucous membrane and usually exposed when the mouth takes on its natural set

2

: an edge of a wound

3

: either of a pair of fleshy folds surrounding an orifice

4

: an anatomical part or structure (as a labium) resembling a lip

liplike

ˈlip-ˌlīk 

adjective