# kissing

Pronunciation: say "KIS-ing" /ˈkɪsɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of kiss. — present participle and gerund of kiss
   - Simple: Present participle of kiss. Use this form for something happening right now, often after a form of "be".
   - _The couple were kissing on the bridge as the fireworks lit the sky._
   - _He kept kissing her hand in that old-fashioned way._

## Noun

2. The act of giving a kiss, or of making out with someone.
   - Simple: The act of pressing your lips to someone to show love or to say hello.
   - _The movie cut away just as the kissing began._
   - _Public kissing is frowned upon in some cultures._

## Adjective

3. Engaged in a kiss, or taking part in kissing.
   - Simple: Joined with someone in a kiss right now.
   - _The kissing pair on the park bench drew a few smiles._
   - _A kissing couple stood silhouetted against the sunset._
4. Just barely in contact; touching only at the very edge.
   - Simple: Barely touching, with only the lightest contact.
   - _The machinist set the tool to a kissing fit against the workpiece._
   - _Where the two breads baked side by side, a pale kissing crust formed._

## Origin

**Meanings 1, 3–4** — This is the present participle form, from Middle English kissynge and Old English cyssende, going back to Proto-West Germanic *kussijandī and Proto-Germanic *kussijandz: essentially "kiss" plus "-ing." It is related to Dutch kussend, German küssend, and Swedish kyssande.
**Meaning 2** — This is the noun form, from Middle English kissynge and Old English *cyssing, going back to Proto-West Germanic *kussīngu: essentially "kiss" plus "-ing." It is related to Middle Dutch cussinge, Middle Low German küssinge, and Middle High German küssunge.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/kissing (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).