lip
- 01 A1 Beginner
n.one of the two soft, pink or red parts around your mouth.
n.either of the two fleshy folds forming the margins of the mouth.
Simple“She applied some balm because her lips were dry from the cold wind.”
In context“The patient presented with a small laceration on the lower lip that required three stitches to close properly.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
n.the top edge of a cup, bowl, or other container.
n.the projecting rim or edge of a vessel or open container.
Simple“Be careful not to chip the lip of that expensive crystal glass.”
In context“The jug features a narrow lip designed to prevent splashing while pouring heavy liquids.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.rude or disrespectful speech, especially to someone in authority.
n.impudent or disrespectful speech; backtalk.
Simple“The teacher told the student she didn't want any more lip from him.”
In context“The manager warned the employee that further lip regarding the new policy would result in a formal disciplinary hearing.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the very edge of a steep place, like a cliff or a crater.
n.the edge or margin of a steep geographical feature or cavity.
Simple“They stood at the lip of the canyon and looked down at the river.”
In context“The hikers halted at the lip of the volcanic crater, mesmerised by the steam rising from the vents below.”
- 05 C2 Proficiency
n.the strength or position of a musician's mouth when playing a wind instrument.
n.the condition or strength of a wind instrumentalist's embouchure.
Simple“The trumpet player lost his lip after not practicing for a month.”
In context“Developing a strong lip is essential for horn players to maintain pitch stability during long orchestral performances.”
Synonymsembouchure - 06 C1 Advanced
v.to touch something with your lips or to flow against an edge.
v.to touch or lap against a surface; in sports, to hit the edge of a hole.
Simple“The waves gently lipped the side of the wooden boat.”
In context“The golfer groaned as his birdie putt lipped the cup but failed to drop in.”
From Middle English lippe, from Old English lippa, lippe (“lip”), from Proto-West Germanic lippjō (“lip”), from Proto-Germanic lepô, from Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“to hang loosely, droop, sag”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Lippe (“lip”), West Frisian lippe (“lip”), Dutch lip (“lip”), German Lippe and Lefze (“lip”), Low German Lippe (“lip”), Luxembourgish Lëps (“lip”), Vilamovian łyp (“lip”), Yiddish ליפּ (lip, “lip”), Danish læbe (“lip”), Norwegian Bokmål leppe (“lip”), Norwegian Nynorsk leppa, leppe, lippa, lippe (“lip”), Swedish läpp (“lip”), Latin labium (“lip”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.