Kisser Is Also Slang for the Mouth or Face
A kisser is one who kisses. Informally it means the mouth, and boxing gave the sense a home.
A kisser is someone who kisses. Informal English gives it a second job: the kisser is the mouth or face, especially in the phrase *a smack in the kisser*. The sense comes from boxing and vaudeville slang, where naming a body part by its function was standard practice.
- One who kisses. *A good kisser.*
- The mouth or face (slang). *Right in the kisser.*
- Kiss — to touch with the lips. *Kiss goodbye.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | kisser | A poor kisser. |
| Plural | kissers | Two kissers. |
| Verb | kiss | Kiss the ring. |
| Noun | kiss | A quick kiss. |
| Related | snog | A British snog. |
How it is used in a sentence
- A smack in the kisser.The mouth.
- The kiss of life is rescue breathing.First aid.
- XXX at the end of a letter means kisses.A medieval mark that became affectionate.
Kiss expressions
- Kiss of life — rescue breathing
- Kiss of death — something that dooms a project
- Kiss goodbye to — give up on
- French kiss — with the tongue, called an English kiss in France
- X for a kiss — from a medieval mark on documents
From *kiss*, Old English *cyssan*, of Germanic origin and probably imitative in its distant ancestry.
Why does X mean a kiss?
From medieval documents, where those who could not write signed with a cross and kissed it to show sincerity.
Do the French call it a French kiss?
No. In France the same act has other names, and English speakers named it after the country they associated with it.