kiss

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a light glancing touch

   Their arms kissed momentarily at the dinner table .

2. 2
   noun

   the act of caressing with the lips, or an instance thereof

   It is not uncommon to greet people with a kiss on the cheek in Europe.

3. 3
   noun

   any of several bite-sized candies

   Kisses are a popular Halloween treat.

4. 4
   noun

   a cookie made of egg whites and sugar

   Let's make some kisses for the kids!

5. 5
   verb

   touch with the lips or press the lips against someone's mouth or other body part as an expression of love, greeting, and so on

   The newly married couple kissed in front of their guests.

6. 6
   verb

   touch lightly or gently

   The eight ball kissed the corner pocket before bouncing out.

7. 7
   verb

   To touch with the lips or press the lips against, usually to show love or affection or passion, or as part of a greeting.

   He […] kissed her lips with such a clamorous smack, / That at the parting all the church echoed.

8. 8
   verb

   To (cause to) touch lightly or slightly; to come into contact.

   The nearside of the car just kissed a parked truck as he took the corner at high speed.

Etymology

From Middle English kissen, kussen, from Old English cyssan (“to kiss”), from Proto-West Germanic *kussijan, from Proto-Germanic *kussijaną (“to kiss”). Cognates include Saterland Frisian küsje, Dutch kussen, German Low German küssen, German küssen, Danish kysse, Swedish kyssa, Norwegian kysse, Icelandic kyssa. Compare Proto-Indo-European *ku-, *kus- (probably imitative), with byspels including Ancient Greek κύσσω (kússō), poetic form of κύσω (kúsō, “to kiss”), and Hittite [script needed] (kuwassanzi, “they kiss”).