English Explanatory Dictionary

lickspittle

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A fawning toady; a base sycophant.
  2. The practice of giving empty flattery for personal gain.
verb
  1. To play the toady; take the role of a lickspittle to please (someone).

Pronunciation

lĭkʹspĭtl lĭkʹspĭtəl /ˈlɪkspɪtl/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-lickspittle.wav

Word forms

lickspittle lickspittles lick-spittle lickspittling lickspittled

Etymology

A compounding: lick (“pass one’s tongue over”) + spittle (“saliva”); the verb may derive by back-formation from the nominal derivation lickspittling (see below).

Synonyms

brown noser flatterer sycophant toady

Derived words

lickspittling lickspittlery
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