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
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
5
lipped; lipping
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
: to hit the edge of the cup without dropping in
—used with out
the putt lipped out
Synonyms
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
Kara Nesvig, Allure, 18 Apr. 2024
Pianist Iyer, bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Jeremy Dutton set up near the front lip of the stage, facing the tables with their backs to the theater seats in the concert hall.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lip 
Noun
Child lined Megan's lips with a liner a few shades darker than the bright red center color for a subtle ombré effect.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 18 Apr. 2024
Pianist Iyer, bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Jeremy Dutton set up near the front lip of the stage, facing the tables with their backs to the theater seats in the concert hall.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lip
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lip.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near lip
Cite this Entry
“Lip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lip. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lip
1 of 2 noun1
: 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
lip
2 of 2 adjective
: spoken with the lips only : not sincere
lip service
Medical Definition
lip
noun1
: 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
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