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lick

Pronunciation: /lɪk/

Translate lick | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of lick

verb

[with object]
  • 1pass the tongue over (something) in order to taste, moisten, or clean it:he licked the stamp and stuck it on the envelope
  • [no object, with adverbial of direction] (of a flame, wave, or breeze) move lightly and quickly like a tongue:the flames licked around the wood
  • 2 informal overcome (a person or problem) decisively:all right Mary, I know when I’m licked the Chancellor said that the government had inflation licked
  • beat or thrash (someone): she stands tall and could lick any man in the place
  • (lick someone/thing down) West Indian cut or knock someone or something down: the boy was quiet, but if you cross he path, he lick you down

noun

  • 1an act of licking something with the tongue:Sammy gave his fingers a lick
  • a quick movement of flame, water, etc.: a tiny lick of flame flickered round the mouth of the flame-thrower
  • 2 informal a light coating or quick application of something, especially paint:she needed to give the kitchen a lick of paint
  • [in singular, usually with negative] US an extremely small amount of something abstract:there’s not a lick of suspense in the entire plot
  • 3 informal a short phrase or solo in jazz or popular music:cool guitar licks
  • 4 informal a smart blow:his mother gave him several licks for daring to blaspheme

Phrases

at a lick

informal at a fast pace: the hearse was going at a fair lick for that normally sedate vehicle

a lick and a promise

informal an act of cleaning or washing something in a hasty manner: she would give a lick and a promise to her parlour, and sit down to await the American gentleman

lick someone's boots (or vulgar slang arse)

be excessively obsequious towards someone.

lick someone/thing into shape

see shape.

lick one's lips (or chops)

look forward to something with eager anticipation: I’m not a policeman, so don’t start licking your lips over the idea of a police brutality charge

lick one's wounds

retire to recover one’s strength or confidence after a humiliating experience:the party was licking its wounds after electoral defeat

not be able to do something a lick

US informal be totally incompetent at the specified activity:I couldn’t sing a lick

Derivatives

licker

noun

Origin:

Old English liccian, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch likken and German lecken, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek leikhein and Latin lingere

lick in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of lick in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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