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mouth verbs open/shut/close your mouth • He opened his mouth wide so the doctor could examine his throat. cover your mouth • She laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. wipe your mouth • He laid down his fork and wiped his mouth. purse your mouth (= bring your lips tightly together, especially to show disapproval or worry ) • Ian looked at her and pursed his mouth. kiss somebody on the mouth • She walked boldly up to him and kissed him on the mouth. sb’s mouth falls/drops open (= in surprise ) • ‘Me?’ she said, her mouth dropping open. sb’s mouth tightens written (= their lips are pressed tightly together, usually in anger ) adjectives dry (= especially because someone is nervous or ill ) • My mouth was dry and my hands were shaking. a big/large/wide/small mouth • He had a big nose and a big mouth. • Billy’s wide mouth stretched into a grin. a full mouth (= with large attractive lips ) • She had heavy-lidded eyes and a full mouth. a thin mouth (= with thin lips ) • a woman with a sharp nose and a thin mouth a rosebud mouth (= a small red attractive mouth ) • The girl had huge brown eyes and a rosebud mouth. phrases the corner/side of your mouth • A smile lifted the corners of her mouth. the roof of your mouth (= the top inside part ) • He made a clicking sound with his tongue on the roof of his mouth. with your mouth full (= with food in your mouth ) • Don’t talk with your mouth full. with your mouth open • He chews with his mouth open. (with your) mouth agape written (= with your mouth open in surprise ) • She stared at him, mouth agape.
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noun ADJ. big, cavernous, enormous, generous, huge, large, wide | small | beautiful, chiselled, handsome, lovely, pretty, sensual, sensuous, well-shaped | firm, hard, strong A smile played around his strong mouth. | soft | hot, warm | loose, slack | full, full-lipped | lipless, thin | toothless | lopsided | wet | dry, tight A tight mouth was the only sign of her nerves. | gaping, half-open, open | cruel | hungry | swollen VERB + MOUTH open, shut | cover He covered his mouth to hide his yawn. | wipe He wiped his greasy mouth on his sleeve. | fill He coughed as the blood filled his mouth. | foam at, froth at The dog was foaming at the mouth and near death. MOUTH + VERB drop open, fall open, hang open, open, sag open Our mouths dropped open in surprise. | close, shut | be contorted, be distorted, be set, compress, contort, harden, purse, set, thin, tighten, turn down, twist His mouth compressed into a thin, hard line.‘Get out!’ she shouted, her mouth contorted by emotion. Her mouth suddenly set in a determined line. | curl, curve, lift, quirk, stretch, tilt, turn up Her mouth curved into a smile. His mouth lifted in a wry smile. | droop, sag | pout | twitch | quiver, tremble | water My mouth started watering when I smelled the food. | be/go dry MOUTH + NOUN ulcer PREP. about/around your ~ There were lines of tension about his mouth. | across your ~ A cool smile played across her mouth. | in your ~ I could taste blood in my mouth. | over your ~ She put her hand over her mouth to stifle the cough. PHRASES the back/roof of the mouth I was so thirsty my tongue was sticking to the roof of my mouth. | the corner/side of the mouth There was blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. The corners of her mouth turned up in a slight smile. | keep your mouth shut (= don't speak), (have, etc.) your mouth full (= full of food) Don't talk with your mouth full! | a mouth to feed Twins would mean two extra mouths to feed. | mouth-to-mouth (resuscitation) He pulled the boy from the river and gave him mouth-to-mouth.