1
: either of two fleshy folds that surround the mouth in humans and many other vertebrates and are organs of human speech essential to certain articulations
also
: the red or pinkish margin of the human lip
2
slang
: back talk
3
4
a
: the edge of a hollow vessel or cavity
b
: a projecting edge: such as
(1)
: the beveled upper edge of the mouth of an organ flue pipe
(2)
: the sharp cutting edge on the end of a tool (such as an auger)
(3)
: a short spout (as on a pitcher)
c
5
lipped; lipping
1
: to touch with the lips
especially
: kiss
2
: utter
3
: to lap against : lick
4
: to hit (a putt) so that the ball hits the edge of the cup but fails to drop in
—usually used with out
: to hit the edge of the cup without dropping in
—used with out
the putt lipped out
Synonyms
Examples of lip in a Sentence
Noun
He had a cut on his lip.
She was nervously biting her lip.
the lips of a wound
the lip of a crater
the lip of a pitcher
Adjective
part of the ritual of the awards ceremony is the nominee's lip praise for the performances of his or her competitors
Verb
the waves, reflecting the red glow of the sunset, gently lipped the prow
Recent Examples on the Web
Andrew Watman, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Wrapping her arms around their shoulders, Perry pointed to Carpenter's signature lip tattoo, which her nieces sported on their shoulders.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024
Emily Holgate, refinery29.com, 19 Jan. 2024
Also, lip skin is thinner, making blood vessels more apparent.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2024
Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024
Best Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2024 Makeup Deals Glow up with Hourglass's luminance-boosting blush and highlighter quad, or stick to a classic sultry eye and statement lip with the gorgeous Tom Ford trio below—the choice is yours.
—Sarah Han, Allure, 15 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for lip 
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Noun
The startup has already conquered the retail landscape with more than 10 thousand accounts across the US, so a primary point of its focus now is to get more eyeballs on the product–and in turn, liquid to lips.
—Andrew Watman, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Wrapping her arms around their shoulders, Perry pointed to Carpenter's signature lip tattoo, which her nieces sported on their shoulders.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
While lip reading is commonly used as a way for those with hearing disabilities to understand speech and conversations, it’s also called upon for legal matters and police investigations.
—Emily Holgate, refinery29.com, 19 Jan. 2024
Also, lip skin is thinner, making blood vessels more apparent.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2024
Verb
Greg Norman lips his putt on the PGA Championship’s second playoff hole, giving Paul Azinger the title and leaving Norman with an unprecedented career of Grand Slam playoff losses.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024
Best Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2024 Makeup Deals Glow up with Hourglass's luminance-boosting blush and highlighter quad, or stick to a classic sultry eye and statement lip with the gorgeous Tom Ford trio below—the choice is yours.
—Sarah Han, Allure, 15 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for lip
Articles Related to lip
Dictionary Entries Near lip
Cite this Entry
“Lip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lip. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lip
1 of 2 noun1
: either of the two fleshy folds that surround the mouth
2
slang
: back talk sense 3
3
a
: a fleshy edge or margin
lips of a wound
b
: a part or structure of a plant or animal that resembles a lip (as the protruding part of an orchid's corolla)
4
: the edge of a hollow container especially where it is slightly spread out
lip
2 of 2 adjective
: spoken with the lips only : not sincere
lip service
Medical Definition
lip
noun1
: either of the two fleshy folds which surround the opening of the mouth in humans and many other vertebrates and in humans are organs of speech essential to certain articulations
also
: the pinkish or reddish margin of a human lip composed of nonglandular mucous membrane and usually exposed when the mouth takes on its natural set
2
: an edge of a wound
3
: either of a pair of fleshy folds surrounding an orifice
4
: an anatomical part or structure (as a labium) resembling a lip
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