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KISS
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KISS, the act of pressing or touching with the lips, cheek, hand or lips of another, as a sign or expression of love, affection, reverence or greeting. Skeat (Etym. Dict., 1898) connects the Tent. base kussa with Lat. gust us, taste, and with Goth. kustus, test, from kinsan, to choose, and takes " kiss " as ultimately a doublet of " choice." For the liturgical osculum pads or " kiss of peace," see PAX. See further C. Nyrop, The Kiss and its History, trans. by W. F. Harvey (1902); J. J. Claudius, Dissertatio de salutationibus veterum (Utrecht, 1702); and " Baisers d'6tiquette " (1689) in Archives curieuses de l'histoire de France (1834-1890, series ii. tom. 12).