lick
8 ENTRIES FOUND:
licks;
licked;
licking
licks;
licked;
licking
Britannica Dictionary definition of LICK
1
:
to pass the tongue over (a surface, an object, etc.)
[+ object]
-
He licked the stamp before putting it on the envelope.
-
The dog licked my cheek. = The dog licked me on the cheek.
[no object]
-
The dog licked at the plate.
2
[+ object]
:
to take (something) into your mouth with your tongue
-
She licked the sauce off her finger.
-
The cat licked the milk off/from her paws.
3
:
to lightly touch or go over (a surface)
[+ object]
-
Flames were already licking the ceiling.
[no object]
-
Flames were already licking at/against the ceiling.
4
[+ object]
informal
a
:
to defeat (someone) in a fight or contest
-
He's pretty big, but I think I can lick him.
b
:
to solve (a problem)
-
Engineers think they have licked the problem with the rocket engine.
lick someone's boots
informal + disapproving
:
to treat someone powerful with too much respect in order to get approval
-
He's just the assistant to the manager, there's no need to lick his boots.
lick your lips
1
:
to pass your tongue over your lips
-
She licked her lips while she waited for the food to be served.
2
or US
lick your chops
:
to feel or show excitement because something good is expected to happen
-
The players knew they would win and were licking their chops as they waited for the game to start.
lick your wounds
:
to recover from defeat or disappointment
-
He went home to lick his wounds after losing the election.
2
lick
/ˈlɪk/
noun
plural
licks
2
lick
/ˈlɪk/
noun
plural
licks
Britannica Dictionary definition of LICK
[count]
1
:
the act of passing your tongue over something
:
the act of licking something
-
He gave the bowl a lick. [=he licked the bowl]
-
Could I have a lick of your ice cream?
2
informal
:
a small amount
:
bit
— often used in negative statements in U.S. English
-
It just needs a lick of paint.
-
She couldn't swim a lick. [=she couldn't swim at all]
-
He hasn't done a lick of work. [=he hasn't done any work]
-
She thinks he isn't worth a lick. [=she thinks he is worthless]
3
informal
:
a hard hit
— often used figuratively in U.S. English
-
a football player who has taken a lot of licks [=who has been hit hard many times]
-
He said some pretty harsh things to her, but she got in a few licks herself. [=she also said some harsh things to him]
-
The movie has taken its licks from the critics. [=has been harshly reviewed by the critics]
4
informal
:
a very short part of a piece of music
a lick and a promise
1
US
:
a quick and careless attempt to do something
-
They gave the budget problems a lick and a promise and then moved on to the next issue.
2
British
:
the act of washing something quickly or carelessly
-
He gave the car a lick and a promise.
