Lip service

Lip service
Lip Lip (l[i^]p), n. [OE. lippe, AS. lippa; akin to D. lip, G. lippe, lefze, OHG. lefs, Dan. l[ae]be, Sw. l["a]pp, L. labium, labrum. Cf. {Labial}.] 1. One of the two fleshy folds which surround the orifice of the mouth in man and many other animals. In man the lips are organs of speech essential to certain articulations. Hence, by a figure they denote the mouth, or all the organs of speech, and sometimes speech itself. [1913 Webster]

Thine own lips testify against thee. --Job xv. 6. [1913 Webster]

2. An edge of an opening; a thin projecting part of anything; a kind of short open spout; as, the lip of a vessel. [1913 Webster]

3. The sharp cutting edge on the end of an auger. [1913 Webster]

4. (Bot.) (a) One of the two opposite divisions of a labiate corolla. (b) The odd and peculiar petal in the {Orchis} family. See {Orchidaceous}. [1913 Webster]

5. (Zo["o]l.) One of the edges of the aperture of a univalve shell. [1913 Webster]

6. Impudent or abusive talk; as, don't give me any of your lip. [Slang]

Syn: jaw. [1913 Webster]

{Lip bit}, a pod auger. See {Auger}.

{Lip comfort}, comfort that is given with words only.

{Lip comforter}, one who comforts with words only.

{Lip labor}, unfelt or insincere speech; hypocrisy. --Bale.

{Lip reading}, the catching of the words or meaning of one speaking by watching the motion of his lips without hearing his voice. --Carpenter.

{Lip salve}, a salve for sore lips.

{Lip service}, expression by the lips of obedience and devotion without the performance of acts suitable to such sentiments.

{Lip wisdom}, wise talk without practice, or unsupported by experience.

{Lip work}. (a) Talk. (b) Kissing. [Humorous] --B. Jonson.

{To make a lip}, to drop the under lip in sullenness or contempt. --Shak.

{To shoot out the lip} (Script.), to show contempt by protruding the lip. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Lip service — is an idiom meaning minimal compliance only .Lip service may also refer to: * Lip Service (TV series) * Lip Service , a song by Elvis Costello from This Year s Model * Lip Service (game show), a game show aired in the 1990s on MTV * Lip Service …   Wikipedia

  • lip service — something proffered but not performed, 1640s, from LIP (Cf. lip) (n.) + SERVICE (Cf. service) (n.). Earlier in same sense was lip labour (1530s) …   Etymology dictionary

  • lip service — lip .service n pay lip service to sb/sth to say that you support or agree with something without doing anything to prove it ▪ organizations that pay lip service to career development …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • lip service — lip server. insincere expression of friendship, admiration, support, etc.; service by words only: He paid only lip service to the dictator. [1635 45] * * * …   Universalium

  • lip service — When people pay lip service to something, they express their respect, but they don t act on their words, so the respect is hollow and empty …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • lip service — [n] empty talk duplicity, hollow words, insincerity, token agreement, tongue in cheek, unctuousness; concepts 267,542,545 …   New thesaurus

  • lip service — n. insincere expression of respect, loyalty, support, etc …   English World dictionary

  • lip service — noun an expression of agreement that is not supported by real conviction • Syn: ↑hypocrisy • Derivationally related forms: ↑hypocritical (for: ↑hypocrisy) • Hypernyms: ↑pretense, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Lip Service — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Cinéma Lip Service est une série télévisée produite par la BBC en 2010. Lip Service est une film de 2000 de Gail O Grady et Kari Wuhrer. Musique Lip… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • lip service —    When people pay lip service to something, they express their respect, but they don t act on their words, so the respect is hollow and empty.   (Dorking School Dictionary)    ***    If you pay lip service to an idea or cause, you give verbal… …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

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