lip

1 of 4

noun

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
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)
5
lipless adjective
liplike 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

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
That core identity leaves your lips or leaves your fingertips, and that becomes the perception that the world has of you, has of your brand, of your product. Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024 Its usage on the platform is mostly via lip synch and dance content. Kevin Rutherford, Billboard, 14 Mar. 2024 By comparison, Types 3 and 5 labrets had shorter, more bulbous shafts — better-suited for lip wear. Mindy Weisberger, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Subtle shades of pink were all over the ceremony, but the presenter’s lip color stood out for its high-shine effect. Jackie Fields, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Now let the rubber band relax and quickly touch it to your lip again. Rhett Allain, WIRED, 10 Mar. 2024 She was rarely seen without a pair of round glasses or a red lip. Glamour, 2 Mar. 2024 While that was underway, local news reported that high school students found a teen passed out, with purple lips, in the bathroom of a McDonald’s down the street from their school, and used Narcan to revive them. Rae Ellen Bichell, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 And there's a lot to unpack with this creative cosmetic moment, like glossy lips, intensely rosy cheeks, graphic liner, and false lashes with a bold balance. Marci Robin, Allure, 28 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Also, lip skin is thinner, making blood vessels more apparent. Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2024 What are lip flip side effects and risks? Unlike with traditional lip fillers, lip flip treatments have minimal side effects and no major downtime. Ana Escalante, Glamour, 6 Nov. 2023 The pop of color offers a shimmer-free (rare!) means of warming up a wedding look and works equally well at lip level. 35. Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2023 From hydrating serums to the latest in lip colors, these are the fall beauty essentials that deserve a spot in your cart. Poppy Morgan, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2023 When overused, lip plumper can cause cracking, drying, and even splitting of the lips. Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 25 May 2023 The Lip Bar is joining the lot with its first-ever, non-lip product, a bronzer-blush duo called Fresh Glow. Gabi Thorne, Allure, 15 Sep. 2020 Turns out, post-lip augmentation dryness is a strange phenomenon that people don't seem to tell their dermatologists about. Devon Abelman, Allure, 10 Sep. 2020 Morrison told Fox News that the man's lip size, and the height and width of his mouth were accurately recreated by measuring the enamel of the skeleton's teeth. Fox News, 29 May 2020
Verb
Schauffele had a chance for a share of second, but his birdie putt at 18 lipped out. Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2024 So did Finau, whose 61-foot eagle putt lipped out on the par-5 finishing hole, leaving him with a tap-in birdie. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Jan. 2024 Her makeup, as always, was perfect, her lips a deep plum. Jenisha Watts, The Atlantic, 13 Sep. 2023 Greg Norman lips his putt on the PGA Championship’s second playoff hole, giving Paul Azinger the title and leaving Norman with an unprecedented career of Grand Slam playoff losses. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2023 Frequently Asked Questions How does lip plumper work? Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 25 May 2023 There were approach shots that fell short and putts that lipped out. Christine Brennan, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2023 Downes had just lipped out a short par putt on the previous hole, allowing Naumec, who made par, to tie the match after being 4-down earlier. Matt Doherty, BostonGlobe.com, 14 July 2023 This drugstore lip plumper, which offers a sparkly, sheer wash of color, is infused with menthol, which has a cooling and tingling effect. Lauren Dana Ellman, Allure, 18 June 2023

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.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of lip was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near lip

Cite this Entry

“Lip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lip. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lip

1 of 2 noun
1
: either of the two fleshy folds that surround the mouth
2
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 adjective
liplike adjective

lip

2 of 2 adjective
: spoken with the lips only : not sincere
lip service

Medical Definition

lip

noun
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 adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on lip

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