kissing

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɪsɪŋ/

• Audio (General American):

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• Rhymes: -ɪsɪŋ
• Hyphenation: kiss‧ing

From Middle English kissynge, cussinde, from Old English cyssende, from Proto-West Germanic *kussijandī, from Proto-Germanic *kussijandz, equivalent to kiss +‎ -ing. Cognate with Saterland Frisian küsjend, Dutch kussend, German Low German küssend, German küssend, Swedish kyssande, Icelandic kyssandi.

kissing

1. present participle and gerund of kiss

kissing (not comparable)

1. That kisses; engaged in a kiss or kissing.
2. Just touching.

From Middle English kissynge, kyssynge, kessinge, from Old English *cyssing, from Proto-West Germanic *kussīngu, equivalent to kiss +‎ -ing. Cognate with Middle Dutch cussinge (whence Dutch kussing (“kissing”)), Middle Low German küssinge (“kissing”), Middle High German küssunge (“kissing”). Compare also Old English cossettung (“kissing”).

kissing (countable and uncountable, plural kissings)

1. The act of giving a kiss or making out.
   • 1844, Catharine Maria Sedgwick, Tales and Sketches:

     There began to be some movement preparatory to the resumption of our journey, and, after many huggings and kissings, the family parted, and the wagon drove off […]

kissing

1. alternative form of kissynge