kisses a word used in Britain and N. America to describe various items of sugar confectionery or kindred items. The NSOED gives, from the early 19th century, ‘a small cake or piece of confectionery; a sweet, a chocolate’. Craigie and Hulbert (1938–44), dealing with N. America, give, from 1825, ‘a term applied to different kinds of candy, as a small ball of taffy or a confection made of sugar and egg whites’.
In more recent times, the best-known use of the term in this sort of sense has been for the Hershey Kiss, a kind of milk chocolate drop, brought up to a peak. It was first marketed in 1907 (and followed by the Hershey Hug in 1993).
