English Profile

mouth · noun C

/mɑʊθ/Full view

mouth

A1 the part of the face that is used for eating and speaking

Dictionary examples:

Open your mouth wide and say "Ah."

You shouldn't put so much food in your mouth at once.

Learner example:

[The doll] is my fav[or]ite birthday present, because it has two big eyes, a small nose and a small mouth. (Key English Test; A2; Chinese)

keep your mouth shut

B2 to say nothing

Dictionary example:

He told me to keep my mouth shut.

Learner example:

She made every effort to keep her mouth shut but it disturbed her to be the only one to know the truth, apart from her brother. (First Certificate in English; B2; Turkish)

shut your mouth

B2 to stop talking

Dictionary example:

Just shut your mouth and stop whining!

Learner example:

But I couldn't shut my mouth, I continued: "You can't believe it Pat, she wears trousers like men and green flowery blouses." (First Certificate in English; B2; Spanish)

mouth of a river

C1 where a river goes into the sea

Dictionary example:

It is a small village, by the mouth of a river.

Learner example:

The mouth of the river with a [narrow] exit to the sea, provided an extra ex[c]itement because of the pressure of the water when joining the sea. (Certificate of Proficiency in English; C2; Portuguese)

by word of mouth

C2 by one person telling another telling you

Dictionary example:

Students learned of the center by word of mouth.

Learner example:

In the past news traveled mostly by word of mouth and it took days and sometimes weeks before a person would become aware of an occurrence on the other end of the world. (International English Language Testing System; C2; English)

put your foot in your mouth

C2 to say something you should not say, especially something embarrassing

Dictionary example:

He makes outrageous comments and is always putting his foot in his mouth.