kiss
[kis]
| 1. | to touch or press with the lips slightly pursed, and then often to part them and to emit a smacking sound, in an expression of affection, love, greeting, reverence, etc.: He kissed his son on the cheek. |
| 2. | to join lips with in this way: She kissed him and left. |
| 3. | to touch gently or lightly: The breeze kissed her face. |
| 4. | to put, bring, take, etc., by, or as if by, kissing: She kissed the baby's tears away. |
| 5. | Billiards, Pool. (of a ball) to make slight contact with or brush (another ball). |
| 6. | to join lips in respect, affection, love, passion, etc.: They kissed passionately. |
| 7. | to express a thought, feeling, etc., by a contact of the lips: They kissed good-bye at the station. |
| 8. | to purse and then part the lips, emitting a smacking sound, as in kissing someone. |
| 9. | Billiards, Pool. (of a ball) to carom gently off or touch another ball. |
| 10. | an act or instance of kissing. |
| 11. | a slight touch or contact. |
| 12. | Billiards, Pool. the slight touch of one ball by another. |
| 13. | a baked confection of egg whites and confectioners' sugar, served as a cookie. |
| 14. | a piece of toffeelike confectionery, sometimes containing nuts, coconut, or the like. |
| 15. | a small, sometimes conical, bite-size piece of chocolate, usually individually wrapped. |
| 16. | kiss off, Slang.
|
| 17. | blow or throw a kiss, to indicate an intended kiss from a distance, usually in bidding farewell, by kissing one's own fingertips and moving the hand toward the person greeted. |
| 18. | kiss ass, Slang: Vulgar. to be obsequious; fawn. |
bef. 900; ME kissen to kiss, OE cyssan (c. G küssen, ON kyssa), deriv. of OE coss a kiss; c. ON koss, G Küss

Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Kiss
Kiss\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Kissed;p. pr. & vb. n. Kissing.] [OE. kissen, cussen, AS. cyssan, fr. coss a kiss; of uncertain origin; akin to D. kus, G. kuss, Icel. koss.]1. To salute with the lips, as a mark of affection, reverence, submission, forgiveness, etc. He . . . kissed her lips with such a clamorous smack, That at the parting all the church echoed. --Shak. 2. To touch gently, as if fondly or caressingly. When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees. --Shak.Kiss
Kiss\, v. i. 1. To make or give salutation with the lips in token of love, respect, etc.; as, kiss and make friends. 2. To meet; to come in contact; to touch fondly. Like fire and powder, Which as they kiss consume. --Shak. Rose, rose and clematis, Trail and twine and clasp and kiss. --Tennyson. Kissing comfit, a perfumed sugarplum to sweeten the breath. [Obs or Prov. End.] --Shak.Kiss
Kiss\, n. [OE. kiss, derived under the influence of the verb from the older form coss, AS. coss. See Kiss, v.]1. A salutation with the lips, as a token of affection, respect, etc.; as, a parting kiss; a kiss of reconciliation. Last with a kiss, she took a long farewell. --Dryden. Dear as remembered kisses after death. --Tennyson. 2. A small piece of confectionery.Cite This Source
kiss (v.)
"Kissing, as an expression of affection or love, is unknown among many races, and in the history of mankind seems to be a late substitute for the more primitive rubbing of noses, sniffing, and licking." [Buck, p.1113]Some languages make a distinction between the kiss of affection and that of erotic love (cf. L. saviari "erotic kiss," vs. osculum, lit. "little mouth"). Fr. embrasser "kiss," but lit. "embrace," came about in 17c. when the older word baiser (from L. basiare) acquired an obscene connotation. Kiss of death (1948) is in ref. to Judas' kiss in Gethsemane (Matt. xxvi.48-50). Slang kisser "mouth" is from 1860. Insulting invitation kiss my ass is at least from 1705, but probably much older (cf. "The Miller's Tale").
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KISS
Early system on IBM 650. Listed in CACM 2(5):16 (May 1959).
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Kiss
of affection (Gen. 27:26, 27; 29:13; Luke 7:38, 45); reconciliation (Gen. 33:4; 2 Sam. 14:33); leave-taking (Gen. 31:28,55; Ruth 1:14; 2 Sam. 19:39); homage (Ps. 2:12; 1 Sam. 10:1); spoken of as between parents and children (Gen. 27:26; 31:28, 55; 48:10; 50:1; Ex. 18:7; Ruth 1:9, 14); between male relatives (Gen. 29:13; 33:4; 45:15). It accompanied social worship as a symbol of brotherly love (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:26; 1 Pet. 5:14). The worship of idols was by kissing the image or the hand toward the image (1 Kings 19:18; Hos. 13:2).
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| KISS Keep it simple, stupid! |
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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kiss
a touch or caress of the lips upon the lips, cheek, hand, or feet of another to signify affection, greeting, reverence, or sexual attraction.
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