Meaning

noun a facial expression of contempt or scorn; the upper lip curls

noun a suggestive or sneering look or grin

verb look suggestively or obliquely; look or gaze with a sly, immodest, or malign expression

originFrom Middle English ler, leor (“face, cheek”), from Old English hlēor (“face, cheek, profile”), from Proto-West Germanic *hleuʀ, from Proto-Germanic *hleuzą (“ear, cheek”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlews- (“temple of the forehead, cheek”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlew- (“to hear”). Cognate with Scots lire, lere (“face, appearance, complexion”), Dutch lier (“cheek”), Swedish lyra (“pout”),…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0