kiss

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: kĭs, IPA^(key): /kɪs/,

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪs

Etymology 1

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 (kuwassanzi, “they kiss”).

Verb

kiss (third-person singular simple present kisses, present participle kissing, simple past and past participle kissed)

1. (transitive) To touch with the lips or press the lips against, usually to show love or affection or passion, or as part of a greeting.
   • c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

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

   • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     I'll kiss thy foot. I'll swear myself thy subject.

   • 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., , →OCLC:

     But then I had the [massive] flintlock by me for protection. […] The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window […], and a 'bead' could be drawn upon Molly, the dairymaid, kissing the fogger behind the hedge, little dreaming that the deadly tube was levelled at them.

   • 2008 April 28, Katy Perry, Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Cathy Dennis, “I Kissed a Girl”, in One of the Boys‎, performed by Katy Perry:

     I kissed a girl and I liked it / The taste of her cherry chapstick / I kissed a girl just to try it / I hope my boyfriend don't mind it

2. (transitive, intransitive) 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. 

   His ball kissed the black into the corner pocket.

   • c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     Like fire and powder, / Which as they kiss consume.

   • 1867–1870 (date written), Alfred Tennyson, Arthur Sullivan, composer, “No. II. At the Window.”, in The Window: Or, The Songs of the Wrens , London: Strahan & Co., , published 1871, →OCLC:

     Rose, rose and clematis, / Trail and twine and clasp and kiss, / Kiss, kiss; and make her a bower / All of flowers, and drop me a flower, / Drop me a flower.

   • 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:

     Night hath fled away into the valleys. The dawn kisseth the mountain tops.

3. (intransitive) Of two or more people, to touch each other's lips together, usually to express love or affection or passion.
4. (transitive, archaic) To treat with fondness.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:kiss

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English kis, kys, kus, forms of cos influenced by kissen, from Old English coss, from Proto-West Germanic *koss, from Proto-Germanic *kussaz.

Noun

kiss (plural kisses)

1. A touch with the lips, usually to express love or affection, or as a greeting.
2. An 'X' mark placed at the end of a letter or other type of message, signifying the bestowal of a kiss from the sender to the receiver.
   • 1966, Brian W. Aldiss, The Saliva Tree, published 1968, page 67:

     With some satisfaction, Gergory read this through twice, signed it and added kisses[.]

3. A type of filled chocolate candy, shaped as if someone had kissed the top. See Hershey's Kisses.
4. (astronomy) The alignment of two bodies in the solar system such that they have the same longitude when seen from Earth; conjunction.
5. (aviation) A low-speed mid-air collision between the envelopes of two hot air balloons, generally causing no damage or injury.

Synonyms

• (touch with the lips): See Thesaurus:buss

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• x
• xo
• xoxo
• xoxoxo
• xxx

Anagrams

• KSIs, Sisk, skis

Middle English

Verb

kiss

1. Alternative form of kissen

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɪs/

Etymology 1

Partly imitative, partly a euphemism for piss (see pissa (“to pee”)).

Noun

kiss n (uncountable)

1. pee, wee, tinkle, urine

   Synonyms: (vulgar) piss, urin

Declension

Derived terms

• kiss och bajs-humor (“toilet humor”)
• kissblöja
• kissbomb

Related terms

• kissa

Noun

kiss c

1. (slang, childish, now rare) the (male or female) genitalia

   kissen

   the genitals

Declension

Derived terms

• kissemurra

Etymology 2

Onomatopoeic

Interjection

kiss

1. A sound made to attract a cat; "Here, kitty, kitty!"

Usage notes

• Usually repeated several times.
• Often pronounced more like "kss, kss."

Derived terms

• kisse (“kitty-cat”)

References

• kiss in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• kiss in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• kiss in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• Fula Ordboken

Anagrams

• siks