English Explanatory Dictionary

lick

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To stroke with the tongue.
  2. To lap; to take in with the tongue.
  3. To beat with repeated blows.
  4. To defeat decisively, particularly in a fight.
  5. To overcome.
  6. To perform cunnilingus.
  7. To do anything partially.
  8. To lap.
noun
  1. The act of licking; a stroke of the tongue.
  2. The amount of some substance obtainable with a single lick.
  3. A quick and careless application of anything, as if by a stroke of the tongue.
  4. A place where animals lick minerals from the ground.
  5. A small watercourse or ephemeral stream. It ranks between a rill and a stream.
  6. A stroke or blow.
  7. A small amount; a whit.
  8. An attempt at something.
  9. A short motif.
  10. A rate of speed. (Always qualified by good, fair, or a similar adjective.)
  11. An act of cunnilingus.
noun
  1. An instance or opportunity to earn money fast, usually by illegal means, thus a heist, drug deal etc. or its victim; mostly used in phrasal verbs: hit a lick, hit licks
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/lɪk/ en-us-lick.ogg

Word forms

lick licks licking licked

Etymology

From Middle English likken, from Old English liccian, from Proto-West Germanic *likkōn, from Proto-Germanic *likkōną, from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵʰ- (“to lick”). Sense evolution towards violence unclear; not paralleled in any other Germanic language. See also Saterland Frisian likje, Dutch likken, German lecken; also Old Irish ligid, Latin lingō (“lick”), ligguriō (“to lap, lick up”), Lithuanian laižyti, Old Church Slavonic лизати (lizati), Ancient Greek λείχω (leíkhō), Old Armenian լիզեմ (lizem), Persian لیسیدن (lisidan), Sanskrit लेढि (léḍhi), रेढि (réḍhi).

Synonyms

clobber ace atom atomy aught bissel bit crumb glimpse dab damn dash diddly glint dot spatter drop dusting fleck glimmer hint flip flyspeck grain halfpennyworth inch iota jot lick mite modicum molecule morceau morsel mote ooch ounce particle pennyworth piece pinch relish scantling semblance scent scintilla scooch scrap scruple shred skerrick skoosh skosh sliver smattering smidge smidgen smidget smidgy smitch

Derived words

ass-licker belick bootlick finger-lickin' good interlick lick clean lickdish licked licker lickery lickety split lick into shape lick job lick my balls lick one's chops lick one's lips lick one's wounds lick out lickpenny lickport lickpot lick someone's ass lick someone's balls lick someone's boots lickspittle lick the birse lick the dust lick the pants off lick-twat lick up licky nonlicking outlick overlick relick devious lick facelick a lick and a promise a lick of big lick calflick cat-lick cow lick cowlick deerlick Elk Lick French Lick good lick lickability lickable lick and a promise lick-box lick-dish lick log lick of paint lick of the tarbrush lick-platter licksome lick-spigot lick-spittle
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