Library / English Dictionary

KISS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A light glancing touch

Example:

there was a brief kiss of their hands in passing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("kiss" is a kind of...):

touch; touching (the act of putting two things together with no space between them)

Derivation:

kiss (touch lightly or gently)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)

Synonyms:

buss; kiss; osculation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("kiss" is a kind of...):

touch; touching (the act of putting two things together with no space between them)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "kiss"):

smack; smooch (an enthusiastic kiss)

deep kiss; French kiss; soul kiss (an openmouthed kiss in which your tongue is inserted into the other's mouth)

Derivation:

kiss (touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Any of several bite-sized candies

Synonyms:

candy kiss; kiss

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Hypernyms ("kiss" is a kind of...):

candy; confect (a rich sweet made of flavored sugar and often combined with fruit or nuts)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "kiss"):

molasses kiss (a candy kiss that resembles toffee)

meringue kiss (a kiss made of sugar and egg white and baked slowly)

chocolate kiss (a kiss that consists of a conical bite-sized piece of chocolate)

Scotch kiss (butterscotch candy kiss)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A cookie made of egg whites and sugar

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Hypernyms ("kiss" is a kind of...):

biscuit; cookie; cooky (any of various small flat sweet cakes ('biscuit' is the British term))

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.

Example:

She kissed her grandfather on the forehead when she entered the room

Synonyms:

buss; kiss; osculate; snog

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "kiss" is one way to...):

touch (make physical contact with, come in contact with)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "kiss"):

peck; smack (kiss lightly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Sentence example:

Sam cannot kiss Sue

Derivation:

kiss (the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof))

kisser (someone who kisses)

kissing (affectionate play (or foreplay without contact with the genital organs))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Touch lightly or gently

Example:

the blossoms were kissed by the soft rain

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "kiss" is one way to...):

touch (make physical contact with, come in contact with)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

kiss (a light glancing touch)

Credits

 Context examples: 

I could have kissed them, had I dared, even then, in my rage, the touch of them was so sweet, so very sweet.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

When she smile—how can I say? —when she smile I know white man like to kiss her, just like that, when she smile.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Would I forgive him for the selfish idea, and prove my pardon by a reconciling kiss?

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Mrs. Weston kissed her with tears of joy; and when she could find utterance, assured her, that this protestation had done her more good than any thing else in the world could do.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

“And now, my dearest, you have come far enow. May the Virgin guard and prosper thee! One kiss!”

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The squire dropped down beside him on his knees and kissed his hand, crying like a child.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

The virus spreads through saliva, which is why it's sometimes called "kissing disease."

(Infectious Mononucleosis, NIH)

The ball was over, and the breakfast was soon over too; the last kiss was given, and William was gone.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

This syndrome, also known as “mono” or the “kissing disease,” generally resolves with rest and only rarely causes serious complications.

(Epstein-Barr virus protein can “switch on” risk genes for autoimmune diseases, National Institutes of Health)

Agatha, the ever-gentle Agatha, kissed the hands of the lovely stranger, and pointing to her brother, made signs which appeared to me to mean that he had been sorrowful until she came.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)