# kiss

/ˈkɪs/ (US) · /kˈɪs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/kiss
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to touch with lips

verb · CEFR A1

to touch someone with your lips to show that you love them or to say hello.

For teachers: to touch or press with the lips as an expression of affection, greeting, or respect.

- She kissed her daughter on the forehead before she went to sleep.
- The protagonist kissed his partner deeply before departing for the station, unsure of when their paths might cross again.

Usage: Often used with a direct object representing the person or the specific body part touched.

### 2. to touch lightly

verb · CEFR B2 · Literary

to touch something very gently or slightly.

For teachers: to touch or brush against something lightly or superficially.

- The gentle waves started to kiss the shore as the tide came in.
- A soft evening breeze seemed to kiss the surface of the lake, creating tiny ripples that caught the fading light.

Usage: Often used metaphorically with inanimate subjects like wind or waves.

### 3. the act of kissing

noun · CEFR A1

the act of touching someone with your lips.

For teachers: a touch or caress with the lips.

- He gave his mother a quick kiss on the cheek and ran outside.
- The couple shared a lingering kiss under the clock tower, oblivious to the commuters rushing past them.

### 4. symbol in a message

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

the letter 'X' used at the end of a message to represent a kiss.

For teachers: a written symbol, typically the letter 'X', representing a kiss in informal correspondence.

- She ended her text to her grandmother with three kisses.
- Even in their briefest exchanges, they maintained the habit of appending a single kiss to the end of every digital message.

Usage: Usually placed at the very end of a letter, text, or email.

### 5. small chocolate

noun · CEFR B1 · American English

a small piece of chocolate that is shaped like a drop.

For teachers: a small, bite-sized piece of chocolate, often conical or drop-shaped.

- The bowl on the desk was filled with silver-wrapped chocolate kisses.
- The pastry chef decorated the perimeter of the cake with dark chocolate kisses and fresh raspberries.

Usage: Commonly associated with specific commercial brands in North America.

### 6. astronomy/aviation contact

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

when two things in space or two balloons touch very lightly.

For teachers: the light contact or alignment of two bodies, such as a mid-air balloon graze or a planetary conjunction.

- The two balloons experienced a gentle kiss during the festival flight.
- The rare astronomical kiss occurred when the two planets reached the same longitude as viewed from the observatory.

Usage: In aviation, specifically refers to hot air balloon envelopes touching.

## Examples

- She gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheek.
- The couple shared a long kiss at the airport before saying their final goodbyes.
- In many cultures, a formal kiss on each cheek serves as a standard social greeting between acquaintances, though the specific etiquette varies significantly by region.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.