What does labret mean?
A labret is an ornament worn through or in the lip, commonly in the form of a small stud, bar, or plug. The term occurs both in modern body-jewellery culture and in descriptions of traditional adornment practices, including those of various Indigenous peoples. In contemporary use, “labret piercing” generally refers to the procedure itself, while “lip labret” or “lip stud” may identify the jewellery inserted into it. A labret differs from an ordinary piercing because it functions primarily as decoration, although its appearance can also express personal style or cultural affiliation. The word has a history of cross-linguistic travel: it entered English through French and Spanish forms ultimately associated with the Latin word for the lip.
nounA small piece of jewellery, such as a stud or bar, worn through the lip. Labrets are also used as ornaments in some traditional and Indigenous cultures.
- A small ornamental stud or bar worn through the lip, especially as body jewellery.
- An ornament worn in the lip as a form of adornment or cultural identification.
"She wore a silver labret beneath her lower lip."
"The photograph shows a geometric labret worn below the lower lip."
"The ornament belongs to a long-standing tradition of lip adornment in certain Indigenous communities."
The standard plural adds -s.
"The collection included several silver labrets from the nineteenth century."
A labret turns the lip into a distinctive canvas for jewellery, while also continuing a much older tradition of lip ornamentation.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of labret
The English word entered through French labret and Spanish labreto, a diminutive form associated with labro, “lip.” Latin labrum, the source of that Romance vocabulary, denotes the lip or a lip-shaped structure. The modern sense developed from the broader idea of an ornament placed in the lip, which was later especially associated with traditional lip adornment and with modern jewellery.
Related word forms
How labret is actually used
In contemporary jewellery terminology, the term is especially associated with a lip stud or bar. It is also used in cultural and anthropological descriptions of traditional lip ornaments.