mouth

1 of 2

noun

ˈmau̇th 

plural mouths ˈmau̇t͟hz 

also

ˈmau̇z  ˈmau̇ths 

 in synecdochic compounds like "blabbermouths"  is more frequent ˈmau̇ths

1

a

: the natural opening through which food passes into the body of an animal and which in vertebrates is typically bounded externally by the lips and internally by the pharynx and encloses the tongue, gums, and teeth

Don't talk with your mouth full.

wiped his mouth after eating [=wiped his lips and the surrounding area]

The medication is taken by mouth.

b

: grimace

made a mouth

c

: an individual requiring food

had too many mouths to feed

2

a

: voice, speech

finally gave mouth to her feelings

He says something stupid every time he opens his mouth. [=every time he speaks]

b

: mouthpiece sense 3a

… he is the mouth … of the House in its relations with the Crown …

—T. E. May

c(1)

: a tendency to excessive talk

He is not all mouth. … He gets results.

—Time

(2)

: saucy or disrespectful language : impudence

Just don't take any mouth from him.

—Jackson Burgess

(3)

: an unpleasant or offensive way of talking

has quite a mouth on him

told her to watch her mouth [=to not use offensive language or say offensive things]

see also blabbermouth, loudmouth, motormouth

3

: something that resembles a mouth especially in affording entrance or exit: such as

a

: the place where a stream or river enters a larger body of water

b

: the surface opening of an underground cavity (see cavity sense 1)

the mouth of a well/cave

the mouth of a volcano

c

: the opening of a container

the mouth of a bottle

d

: an opening in the side of an organ flue pipe

mouthlike

ˈmau̇th-ˌlīk 

adjective

mouth

2 of 2

verb

ˈmau̇t͟h 

also

ˈmau̇th 

mouthed; mouthing; mouths

transitive verb

1

a

: speak, pronounce

The admonition, so glibly mouthed by so many people …

—Edna Ferber

b

: to utter bombastically : declaim

… had departed, wrathful, mouthing declarations of war.

—P. G. Wodehouse

c

: to repeat without comprehension or sincerity

always mouthing platitudes

d

: to form soundlessly with the lips

the librarian mouthed the word "quiet"

e

: to utter indistinctly : mumble

mouthed his words

2

: to take into the mouth

especially : eat

intransitive verb

1

a

: to talk pompously : rant

—often used with off

She's always mouthing off about how much better she could run the company.

b

: to talk insolently or impudently

—usually used with off

got in trouble for mouthing off to the teacher

2

: to move the mouth especially so as to make faces

mouther noun

Phrases

to have a big mouth

1

: to talk excessively, loudly, or in an offensive way

2

: to reveal things publicly that are meant to be kept private

Synonyms of mouth

Noun

• jaws
• face
• mug
• gob
• yap
• piehole
• chops

Verb

• speak
• talk
• perorate
• discourse
• orate
• declaim
• announce

Examples of mouth in a Sentence

Noun

He kissed her on the mouth.

He threatened to punch me in the mouth.

She stood there with her mouth agape.

I burned the roof of my mouth.

They told him to keep his mouth closed when chewing and not to talk with his mouth full.

He wiped his mouth with a napkin after eating.

She regretted saying it as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

The smell of the food made my mouth water.

The candy melts in your mouth.

The medication is taken by mouth.

Verb

She was just mouthing the usual meaningless platitudes about the need for reform.

silently mouthing the words to a song

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

One day, Scorsese’s assistant panicked after taking too many hardcore sleeping bills, freezing up the assistant’s mouth in the process. —David Browne, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2025

Think of it as a mini mouth cleanse after dessert. —Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2025

Verb

True and Dream then appeared in the same way, with True expertly flipping her sunglasses onto her face in time to the music, before the trio joined Kardashian to mouth the lyrics. —Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025

As in the never-ending parade of ostensibly Christian exorcism movies, religious belief here seems like a superficial excuse for a stock array of supernatural hoodoo — no matter how many times Chalik’s Abuyya pauses the action to mouth some healing doctrine. —Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, going back to Old English mūþ, going back to Germanic *munþa- (whence also Old Frisian mūth, mund "mouth," Old Saxon mūth, Middle Dutch mont, Old High German munt, Old Icelandic munnr, Gothic munþs), going back to dialectal Indo-European *mn̥t-, whence also Welsh mant "mouth, jaw, mandible," Latin mentum "chin"

Note: This etymon is limited to Celtic, Italic, and Germanic, though a relation with Hittite mēni-, mēna- "face, cheek" has also been suggested. The form *mn̥t- has been taken as a verbal adjective of the base *men- (or *min-) seen in Latin ēminēre "to stick out, protrude," but apparently nowhere else in Indo-European (see minatory).

Verb

Middle English mouthen, derivative of mouth mouth entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing mouth

• all mouth (and no trousers/action)
• bad-mouth
• born with a silver spoon in one's mouth
• butter wouldn't melt in someone's mouth
• by mouth
• by word of mouth
• dry mouth
• every time he opens his mouth
• foam at the mouth
• foot-and-mouth disease
• foul mouth
• from the horse's mouth
• froth at the mouth
• hand, foot and mouth disease
• hand-to-mouth
• have a big mouth
• heart in one's mouth
• hoof-and-mouth disease
• keep one's mouth shut
• leave a bad taste in someone's mouth
• left a bad taste in my mouth
• look a gift horse in the mouth
• melt in one's mouth
• mouth harp
• mouth hook
• mouth off
• mouth of the river
• mouth organ
• mouth to feed
• mouth-to-mouth
• mouth-to-mouth resuscitation
• mouth ulcer
• open one's mouth
• poor mouth
• put one's foot in one's mouth
• put one's money where one's mouth is
• put words in/into someone's mouth
• river mouth
• river's mouth
• run one's mouth
• shoot off at the mouth
• shoot one's mouth off
• shut one's mouth
• take the words right out of someone's mouth
• to have a big mouth
• trench mouth
• watch her mouth
• watch one's language/mouth/tongue
• watch one's mouth
• word of mouth
• your heart is in your mouth

Rhymes for mouth

• drouth
• routh

Video

When Body Parts Are Also Verbs

Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes

Kids Definition

mouth

1 of 2 noun

ˈmau̇th 

plural mouths ˈmau̇t͟hz 

also

ˈmau̇ths 

1

: the opening through which food passes into the body of an animal and which in vertebrates is typically surrounded on the outside by the lips and encloses the tongue, gums, and teeth

2

: grimace

make a mouth

3

: an opening that is like a mouth

the mouth of a cave

the mouth of a container

4

: the place where a stream enters a larger body of water

mouth

2 of 2 verb

ˈmau̇t͟h 

1

a

: to speak or utter especially proudly or loudly : declaim

b

: to repeat without belief or understanding

mouth empty phrases

2

a

: to form with the lips without speaking

the librarian mouthed "quiet"

b

: mumble entry 1 sense 1

3

: to take into the mouth

mouther noun

Medical Definition

mouth

noun

ˈmau̇th 

plural mouths ˈmau̇t͟hz 

: the natural opening through which food passes into the animal body and which in vertebrates is typically bounded externally by the lips and internally by the pharynx and encloses the tongue, gums, and teeth