mouth
/maʊθ/ (bre, ipa) · /maʊθ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmau̇th/ (ame, mw) · /maʊð/ (bre, ipa) · /maʊð/ (ame, ipa)
mouth — noun
1. the part of the face that you use for eating, drinking, speaking, and breathing
the part of the face that you use for eating, drinking, speaking, and breathing — it includes the lips, the space behind them, the teeth, the tongue, and the area at the back of the throat where food goes down
Nellie opened her mouth wide so the dentist could check her teeth.
collocation: open one's mouth wide
The doctor asked the child to open his mouth and say Aah.
Hari covered his mouth with both hands when he sneezed loudly.
A warm piece of bread with butter melted in her mouth.
Always breathe through your nose and not your mouth while running.
常見錯誤
2. the open end or entrance of something hollow or narrow — like a bottle top, the
the open end or entrance of something hollow or narrow — like a bottle top, the opening into a cavern, or the location where a river meets the sea
The mouth of the cave was hidden behind a thick curtain of hanging vines.
collocation: mouth of the cave
Tuan carefully poured water into the mouth of the narrow glass bottle.
collocation: mouth of the bottle / container
The Mississippi River has a very wide mouth where it meets the Gulf of Mexico.
Paloma could see sunlight at the mouth of the tunnel up ahead.
The bag had a small tear near its mouth, so rice kept spilling out.
用法筆記
Nearly always follows 'the mouth of [something]' — the noun that names the container, cave, tunnel, or river comes after 'of'. Frequently used in geographic descriptions (river mouths) and container references (bottle mouths).
3. any person in a group that you must provide with food, especially when talking a
any person in a group that you must provide with food, especially when talking about how many dependents you are responsible for supporting
With five hungry mouths to feed, the family had to budget very carefully.
fixed phrase: mouths to feed
Jabari took extra shifts because he has three more mouths to feed now.
The charity helped poor families who had many mouths to feed and little income.
Every extra mouth at the dinner table meant less food for everyone else.
The village counted over two hundred mouths to feed after the storm destroyed their crops.
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed phrase 'mouth(s) to feed' — rarely appears outside this expression. The focus is on the cost or burden of providing food, not on the person as an individual.
mouth — verb
1. to move your lips to form words so that someone can see what you are saying, but
to move your lips to form words so that someone can see what you are saying, but no sound comes out — often used in quiet places where speaking aloud is not allowed, or when practising what you plan to say later
Nellie mouthed 'thank you' to the driver as the bus pulled away.
mouth + direct speech / quoted words
From across the library, Yael mouthed the words 'are you okay' and Tuan nodded quietly.
The singer stood backstage and mouthed along to her own recording.
During the exam, a teacher caught a student mouthing answers to a friend.
Hari mouthed the song lyrics under his breath during the quiet part of the concert.
- whisper
uses breath and produces some sound, unlike mouthing which is completely silent
文法句型
mouth + words / speech
用法筆記
The thing being said is usually given as quoted speech or a noun phrase immediately after 'mouth'. The object can be simple ('thank you', 'sorry') or a complete sentence. Often used in quiet settings where speaking aloud would be noticed.
常見錯誤
2. to say the words of a statement or opinion without meaning them or understanding
to say the words of a statement or opinion without meaning them or understanding them — just repeating the correct phrases without true commitment
The politician mouthed the usual promises about lower taxes, but no one believed him.
mouth + empty promises / phrases
Folake mouthed the company mission statement during training, though she disagreed with half of it.
Students in the back row just mouthed the answers without actually studying the material.
Christopher mouthed apologies to everyone he had offended, but his eyes showed no regret.
The witness mouthed the words the lawyer had told her to say, without understanding their meaning.
文法句型
mouth + words / phrases
用法筆記
This sense carries a critical or dismissive tone — the speaker is saying the right words but does not believe in them. The object is typically something formulaic: promises, slogans, mission statements, apologies, or other set phrases. Not used for spontaneous speech.