king|ship /k I ŋʃ I p/ N‑UNCOUNT Kingship is the fact or position of being a king. □ …the duties of kingship.
ki ng-size also king-sized ADJ [usu ADJ n] A king-size or king-sized version of something is a larger size than the standard version, and may be the largest size available. □ …a king-size bed. □ …king-size bars of chocolate.
kink /k I ŋk/ (kinks , kinking , kinked )
1 N‑COUNT A kink is a curve or twist in something which is otherwise or normally straight. □ [+ in ] …a tiny black kitten with tufted ears and a kink in her tail.
2 VERB If something kinks or is kinked , it has, or it develops a curve or twist in it. □ [V ] …her wet hair kinking in the breeze. □ [V n] Increased pillow height kinks the neck and airway.
kinky /k I ŋki/ (kinkier , kinkiest ) ADJ If you describe something, usually a sexual practice or preference, as kinky , you mean that it is unusual and would be considered strange by most people. [INFORMAL ] □ He had been engaging in some kind of kinky sexual activity.
kins|folk /k I nzfoʊk/ The spellings kinfolk , and sometimes in American English kinfolks are also used. N‑PLURAL [oft poss N ] Your kinsfolk or kinfolk are the people who are related to you. [LITERARY ] □ Poor Emily. Her kinsfolk should come to her. □ I sent my other son to the country to stay with kinfolk.
kin|ship /k I nʃ I p/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Kinship is the relationship between members of the same family. □ The ties of kinship may have helped the young man find his way in life.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If you feel kinship with someone, you feel close to them, because you have a similar background or similar feelings or ideas. □ [+ with ] She evidently felt a sense of kinship with the woman.
kins|man /k I nzmən/ (kinsmen ) N‑COUNT [oft with poss] Someone's kinsman is their male relative. [LITERARY or WRITTEN ]
kins|woman /k I nzwʊmən/ (kinswomen ) N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's kinswoman is their female relative. [LITERARY or WRITTEN ]
ki|osk /kiː ɒsk/ (kiosks )
1 N‑COUNT A kiosk is a small building or structure from which people can buy things such as sandwiches or newspapers through an open window. □ I tried to buy an ice-cream from a kiosk.
2 N‑COUNT A kiosk or a telephone kiosk used to be a public telephone box. [BRIT ] □ He phoned me from a kiosk.
kip /k I p/ (kips , kipping , kipped )
1 N‑SING Kip is sleep. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ Mason went home for a couple of hours' kip.
2 VERB If you kip somewhere, usually somewhere that is not your own home or bed, you sleep there. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V prep/adv] He moved from one friend's flat to another, first kipping on the floor of Theodore's studio. [Also V ]
kip|per /k I pə r / (kippers ) N‑COUNT A kipper is a fish, usually a herring, which has been preserved by being hung in smoke.
kirk /kɜː r k/ (kirks )
1 N‑COUNT A kirk is a church. [SCOTTISH ]
2 N‑PROPER The Kirk is the Church of Scotland, the main Protestant church in Scotland. [SCOTTISH ] □ …ministers of the Kirk.
kirsch /k I ə r ʃ/ also Kirsch N‑UNCOUNT Kirsch is a strong, colourless, alcoholic drink made from cherries which is usually drunk after a meal.
kiss ◆◇◇ /k I s/ (kisses , kissing , kissed )
1 VERB If you kiss someone, you touch them with your lips to show affection or sexual desire, or to greet them or say goodbye. □ [V n + on ] She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. □ [V n n] Her parents kissed her goodbye as she set off from their home. □ [V ] They kissed for almost half a minute. □ [V n] We kissed goodbye. ● N‑COUNT Kiss is also a noun. □ I put my arms around her and gave her a kiss.
2 VERB If you say that something kisses another thing, you mean that it touches that thing very gently. □ [V n] The wheels of the aircraft kissed the runway.
3 PHRASE If you blow someone a kiss or blow a kiss , you touch the palm of your hand lightly with your lips, and then blow across your hand towards the person, in order to show them your affection. □ Maria blew him a kiss.
4 PHRASE If you say that you kiss something goodbye or kiss goodbye to something, you accept the fact that you are going to lose it, although you do not want to. [INFORMAL ] □ I felt sure I'd have to kiss my dancing career goodbye.
ki ss-and-te ll ADJ [ADJ n] If someone who has had a love affair with a famous person tells the story of that affair in public, for example in a newspaper or book, you can refer to this as a kiss-and-tell story. □ …intimate photographs and kiss-and-tell revelations.
ki ss of dea th N‑SING If you say that a particular event is the kiss of death for something, you mean that it is certain to make them fail or be a disaster. □ [+ for ] Trying to please an audience is the kiss of death for an artist. [Also + to]
ki ss of li fe N‑SING If you give someone who has stopped breathing the kiss of life , you put your mouth onto their mouth and breathe into their lungs to make them start breathing again. [BRIT ] □ Julia was given the kiss of life but she could not be revived. in AM, use mouth-to-mouth resuscitation
kit /k I t/ (kits , kitting , kitted )