1The opening and cavity in the lower part of the human face, surrounded by the lips, through which food is taken in and vocal sounds are emitted.

1. 1.1 The opening through which an animal takes in food, corresponding to the human mouth.
   the carp picks up the bait by sucking it into its mouth

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Those that survive to become tadpoles often have misshapen mouths and are unable to feed properly.
   • In addition to two eyes and a mouth, this animal has markings suggesting gills.
   • A ray eats its prey by grabbing the mollusk in its mouth and crushing the shell with its jaws.
   • Other fish have developed huge mouths and fangs so that they can eat practically whatever food they come across.
   • Numerous bacterial and fungal species have been cultured from the mouths of alligators.
   • In some vultures, the adults instead regurgitate food into the mouths of the chicks.
   • This fish is recognized by its short broad snout with four barbels closer to the tip of the snout than the mouth.
   • Step three is to get the brush with paste into your dog's mouth and all the teeth brushed.
   • They are aggressive fish, sometimes known to take food right out of the mouths of feeding sharks.
   • Their trunk is employed to pull branches off trees, uproot grass, pluck fruit, and to place food in their mouths.
   • These beasts often have enormous mouths and needlelike fangs.
   • The taste buds of the lake sturgeon protrude from the toothless mouth and are used to help in the selection of food.
   • Young fish have been observed clinging to their parents with their mouths, even after they are able to swim freely.
   • Their mouths have been adapted for biting, making them efficient hunters.
   • The other reason so many species co-exist on the grassland is also reflected in the structure of the animal's mouths.
   • Once a snake seizes a victim in its mouth, it coils itself around the body.
   • Once the male has fertilized a clutch of eggs, he carries them in his mouth for one to two weeks, until they hatch.
   • Silk moth cocoons are made of a layer of silk that the caterpillar exudes from glands in its mouth.
   • They have fleshy tentacles located above their eyes and below their mouths.
   • Nightjars have large heads and eyes and exceedingly wide mouths, used as scoops for catching insects in midair.
2. 1.2usually with adjective A horse's readiness to feel and obey the pressure of the bit in its mouth.
   the horse had a hard mouth

   Example sentencesExamples

   • A horse with a hard mouth is basically immune to the amount of pressure given by the bit.
   • The horse with the hard mouth almost immediately begins to lean on the bit.
   • A horse should accept the bit and chew it softly, that is a sign of an alive responsive mouth.
   • Another thing he looks for is a deep mouth as this will aid him later on in the training.
   • He has a fairly soft mouth as most of the time while riding I only need to use a very light contact.
3. 1.3 The character or quality of a wine as judged by its feel or flavour in the mouth (rather than its aroma).
   Example sentencesExamples

   • The mouth of the wine is full bodied with flavors of ripe berries and soft, supple fine grained tannins.
   • This medium bodied wine's mouth is filled with a carry over of the nose's raspberries and strawberries.
4. 1.4informal mass noun Talkativeness or impudence.
   you've got more mouth on you than anyone I've ever known

   Example sentencesExamples

   • She had a bit too much mouth and not enough brain.
   • ‘He's got a lot of mouth,’ said Miranda.
   • I am surprised you never came to visit me at my gym when you were training in Las Vegas since you have so much mouth when it comes to me.

   Synonyms

   impudence, cheek, cheekiness, insolence, impertinence, effrontery, audacity, audaciousness, boldness, presumption, presumptuousness, sauciness, incivility, rudeness, disrespect

   informal lip, nerve, neck, brass neck

   British informal sauce, backchat

   North American informal sass, sassiness, back talk, smart mouth

   archaic malapertness

2An opening or entrance to a hollow, concave, or enclosed structure.

1. 2.1 The opening for filling or emptying a container.
   the mouth of the bottle

   Example sentencesExamples

   • From the mouths of the bottles, big drops of water pop up in time to a complex, computer-controlled, choreographed program.
   • She put her lips apprehensively to the mouth of the bottle, and took a large gulp.
   • Glasses with a wide bowl that tapers toward the mouth will allow the aroma of the wine to be released generously.
   • Madeleine noticed a few of the red drops on the cream carpet near the mouth of the bottle.
   • Ben pulled the cork from the mouth of the bottle and leaned forward to help Will drink.
   • It fits the mouth of the container and is locked tightly.
   • The other uncorks a bottle of chilled beer, and after cleaning the mouth of the bottle with her tongue, she places the beer in my hand.
   • But she just blows them a kiss and licks the froth from the mouth of the bottle.

   Synonyms

   opening, rim, lip
2. 2.2 The muzzle of a gun.
   why would anyone want to be shot out of the mouth of a cannon?

   Example sentencesExamples

   • It was the cold mouth of the gun against my temple as I sat behind the wheel of my car that alerted me to the fact that it was indeed a hijack.
   • He passed the anti-aircraft ships at less than mast height in the very mouths of their guns and launched a torpedo at point blank range.
   • The second mass of shot is placed in a wad with its base pointing towards the gun mouth, in the direction of firing.
3. 2.3 The place where a river enters the sea.
   a pool at the mouth of the river

   Example sentencesExamples

   • A local man says that there is a small village named Adventure near the mouth of a river.
   • The coastal boundary cuts across the mouths of all rivers and streams.
   • New Orleans is a city built on silt and drained marshland, positioned at the mouth of the Mississippi River.
   • Anglers in South Africa still target sharks, especially off the long beaches facing the Indian Ocean and in river mouths and estuaries after heavy rain.
   • In winter, the Mew Gull inhabits coastal waters, and is commonly found in estuaries, river mouths, and freshwater ponds close to the shore.
   • The local governor was asked by the French commander if it would be allowed to fire a salute as it entered the mouth of the river.
   • In a separate incident, a teenager had to be rescued from mud flats at the mouth of the River Wyre.
   • Already by 1760 some upriver communities were calling on the Nova Scotia government to restrict net fishing at the mouths of rivers.
   • Columbia was named after a sailing vessel that operated out of Boston in 1792 and explored the mouth of the Columbia River.
   • Numerous little port towns grew up at river mouths.
   • Fish farmers are also under fire over siting farms close to river mouths.
   • Eleven days later the main party reached the mouth of the Yellowstone River and camped there.
   • Pilots are qualified professionals who know the river well enough to guide ships through the dangerous sand banks around the mouth of the river.
   • Villages were usually close to the sea and the mouth of a river.
   • One late afternoon at low tide a hundred big sharks passed the beach near the mouth of a tidal river in a feeding frenzy.
   • Round the headland a pair of towers safeguard a river mouth curling into a distant and indistinct sea.
   • The mouth of the river dumps into Moreton Bay and the Pacific Ocean in northeastern Australia.
   • As silt increasingly built up at the river mouth, large ships had to anchor further and further out at sea.
   • River mouths are dangerous places.
   • Belfast sits at the mouth of the river Lagan and is encircled by green rolling hills.

   Synonyms

   outfall, outlet, debouchment, embouchure, debouchure

   estuary, firth
4. 2.4 The opening or entrance to a harbour or bay.
   sand from the beach is silting up the harbour mouth

   Example sentencesExamples

   • The tidal currents across the bay mouth are effectively pushing the water in the bay round in a large circle.
   • Seas at the mouth of the bay were cresting at 10 feet.
   • Wind over tide conditions at the mouth of Cork Harbour resulted in huge breaking seas over 20 ft high.
   • The largest rock, Big Black Carr, can be seen at the seaward extremity of St Abbs Bay, as you look out from the harbour mouth.
   • Icebergs would languidly crumble to nothing just outside the mouth of the harbour.
   • The largest trawler in the Dingle fleet, the Emerald Dawn, was grounded at the mouth of the harbour in early July.
   • Aitchison argues that had the harbour mouth been widened, more of the boats would have stood a chance of making it to safety.
   • If your boat has come up the coast along the Delaware shore, you'll have no choice but to make the run across the bay's mouth.
   • The ship was being towed and had completed a two weeks voyage from Russia when it spent its first night anchored in the mouth of the bay.
   • It is expected to arrive at the mouth of Cork Harbour next Friday where it will be winched into the water.
   • Being out on deck is even more of a pleasure as you head out of the mouth of the bay.
   • He was able to describe a pattern of lights which seemed to place the yacht within sight of the harbour mouth.
   • Otters are now spread across large swathes of the region and have even been spotted swimming in the mouth of Whitby harbour.
   • An earth embankment was built across the harbour mouth to protect the ships from the weather, and a castle was constructed at the top of the hill.
   • Eventually, as I near the harbour mouth, a rescue launch roars out to meet me and tows me in.
   • There are five wrecks in all and they lie in the mouth of the old harbour, so the only way of safely diving on them is by boat.
   • I felt woefully under waterproofed to face the weather beyond the harbour mouth.
   • As they got to the mouth of New York harbour, they got into difficulties and requested assistance.
   • That evening we set off to fish the harbour mouth from the rock wall.
   • There was even a galleon lurking near the mouth of the harbour, ostensibly harmless.

1Move the lips as if saying (something)

1. 1.1 Say (something dull or unoriginal), especially in a pompous or affected way.
   this clergyman mouths platitudes in breathy, soothing tones

   Example sentencesExamples

   • She said that people should be wary of mouthing platitudes.
   • He is merely mouthing an administrator's script.
   • They were content to mouth the slogans and go through the motions.
   • Now she mouths all the normal platitudes about how the Real Message of the Gospel is Social Justice.
   • When he says he expects to win, he will likely be speaking out of sincere conviction, not simply mouthing platitudes like many other candidates.
   • They mouth slogans and psychobabble.
   • Realistic promotion of abstinence is not the mere mouthing of platitudes such as ‘Just say ‘No’!’
   • Repent, they admonish, and come back to signing agreements and mouthing platitudes.
   • The guy is just sitting on his hands, while mouthing platitudes.
   • The company quickly reverted to the more standard practice of mouthing platitudes instead of the bald-faced truth.
   • They shriek, they mouth inanities in the commentary box and on the stands.
   • But such actors cannot be expected to mouth Marxist slogans convincingly.
   • Both of them are currently mouthing the proper platitudes.
   • The environment minister is being condemned for mouthing politically correct platitudes.
   • Instead of mouthing platitudes about creating just and lasting settlements, we must turn the financial screws on both parties to make them see sense.

   Synonyms

   utter, speak, say

   pronounce, enunciate, articulate, voice, express, vocalize, verbalize

   say insincerely, say for form's sake
2. 1.2 Utter very clearly and distinctly.
   she would carefully mouth the right pronunciation

   Example sentencesExamples

   • I, in turn, pointed at myself and just as clearly mouthed out my name, ‘Lani’.
   • His teacher was mouthing each letter sound and having him repeat sequences.
   • By the end of the lesson students are carefully mouthing the correct English pronunciation.
   • Emily mouthed the words carefully as she faced him. ‘Thank you so much, Mr. Smith.’

   Synonyms

   utter, speak, say

2Take in or touch with the mouth.

1. 2.1 Train the mouth of (a horse) so that it responds to a bit.
   the young horse was being mouthed, or bitted, for the first time

   Example sentencesExamples

   • The horse was mouthed properly as a youngster.
   • Mouthing a pony is the initial stage of breaking a pony and getting him to get used to the fact that he is going to be ridden.
   • If you're mouthing a young horse for the first time, start out by getting a few really good training books.