mouth

The opening in your face that you use to eat and speak.

• Open your mouth, please.
• She covered her mouth when she coughed.
• He had food in his mouth.

Common phrases: open your mouth, close your mouth, mouth full, mouth of something

The place where a river flows into the sea, a lake, or another river.

• We camped near the river mouth.
• A bridge crosses the mouth of the bay’s largest river.
• Sand had collected at the mouth of the stream.

How to use it: the mouth of a river (Fishing boats gathered near the mouth of the river.)

Similar words: outlet

Common phrases: river mouth, mouth of something

To move your lips to form words without making a sound.

• She mouthed my name.
• He mouthed the words through the window.
• They were mouthing answers to each other.

How to use it: mouth something to someone (She mouthed a warning to me.)

Common phrases: mouth the words, mouth something to someone

To hold or touch something with your lips or teeth without eating it.

• The puppy mouthed my hand gently.
• The baby was mouthing a soft toy.
• A fish mouthed the bait but did not swallow it.

Common phrases: mouth a toy, mouth the lure, mouth something gently

To say words, often without much thought or feeling.

• He mouthed a familiar slogan.
• The speaker mouthed promises that nobody believed.
• She kept mouthing the same tired phrases.

Similar words: utter, say

Common phrases: mouth empty promises, mouth a slogan, mouth the words