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lick
lick / lik/ • v. [tr.] 1. pass the tongue over (something), typically in order to taste, moisten, or clean it: he licked the stamp and stuck it on the envelope [intr.] he licked at his damaged hand with his tongue. ∎ [intr.] fig. (of a flame, wave, or breeze) move lightly and quickly like a tongue: the flames licked around the wood. 2. inf. defeat (someone) comprehensively: all right Mary, I know when I'm licked. ∎ thrash: she stands tall and could lick any man in the place. • n. 1. an act of licking something with the tongue: Sammy gave his fingers a long lick. ∎ fig. a movement of flame, water, etc., resembling this. 2. inf. a small amount or quick application of something, esp. paint: all she'd need to do to the kitchen was give it a lick of paint. 3. (often licks) inf. a short phrase or solo in jazz or popular music: cool guitar licks. 4. inf. a smart blow: his mother gave him several licks for daring to blaspheme. PHRASES: at a lick inf. at a fast pace; with considerable speed. a lick and a promise inf. a hasty performance of a task, esp. of cleaning something. lick someone's boots (or vulgar slang ass) be excessively obsequious toward someone, esp. to gain favor from them. lick someone/something into shapesee shape. lick one's lips (or chops) look forward to something with eager anticipation. lick one's wounds retire to recover one's strength or confidence after a defeat or humiliating experience: the political organization he worked for was licking its wounds after electoral defeat.DERIVATIVES: lick·er n. [usu. in combination] . |
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Cite this article
"lick." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "lick." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-lick.html "lick." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-lick.html |
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Licking
Licking river, c.320 mi (515 km) long, rising in E Ky. and flowing NW to the Ohio River opposite Cincinnati; the North and South Forks are its chief tributaries. The Licking was an important means of travel for Native Americans and pioneers and later a busy trade route. In 1780, at the river's mouth, George Rogers Clark 's frontiersmen gathered for their march up the Little Miami; the battle of Blue Licks (1782) occurred in the Licking valley. Covington and Newport are located where the river meets the Ohio. |
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Cite this article
"Licking." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Licking." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Licking.html "Licking." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Licking.html |
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lick
lick lick into shape make presentable, originally with reference to the supposed practice of bears with their young. According to early bestiaries, bear-cubs were born without form, and were then licked into shape by their mothers; a bear may thus be taken as a symbol of the Church shaping human nature.
See also lick one's lips at lip. |
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Cite this article
ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "lick." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "lick." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-lick.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "lick." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-lick.html |
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lick
lick vb. OE. liccian = OS. likkōn, lekkōn (Du. likken), OHG. leckōn (G. lecken) :- WGmc. *likkōjan; based ult. on IE. *liĝh — *leiĝh — *leiĝh—, found in Skr. rehi, lehi, Gr. leíkhein, L. lingere, OIr. ligim, OSl. lizati.
Hence sb. XVII. |
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "lick." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "lick." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-lick.html T. F. HOAD. "lick." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-lick.html |
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licking
lick·ing / ˈliking/ • n. inf. a severe defeat or beating. |
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Cite this article
"licking." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "licking." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-licking.html "licking." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-licking.html |
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lick
lick •artic, brick, chick, click, crick, dick, flick, hand-pick, hic, hick, kick, lick, mick, miskick, nick, pic, pick, prick, quick, rick, shtick, sic, sick, slick, snick, spic, stick, thick, tic, tick, trick, Vic, wick
•alcaic, algebraic, Aramaic, archaic, choleraic, Cyrenaic, deltaic, formulaic, Hebraic, Judaic, Mishnaic, Mithraic, mosaic, Pharisaic, prosaic, Ptolemaic, Romaic, spondaic, stanzaic, trochaic
•logorrhoeic (US logorrheic), mythopoeic, onomatopoeic
•echoic, heroic, Mesozoic, Palaeozoic (US Paleozoic), Stoic
•Bewick
•disyllabic, monosyllabic, polysyllabic, syllabic
•choriambic, dithyrambic, iambic
•alembic
•amoebic (US amebic)
•aerobic, agoraphobic, claustrophobic, homophobic, hydrophobic, phobic, technophobic, xenophobic
•cherubic, cubic, pubic
•Arabic, Mozarabic
•acerbic • apparatchik • dabchick
•peachick
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Cite this article
"lick." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "lick." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-lick.html "lick." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-lick.html |
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licking
licking •backing, blacking, packing, sacking, tracking, whacking
•ranking, spanking
•nerve-racking
•marking, sarking
•making, taking, undertaking
•matchmaking • dressmaking
•haymaking
•lacemaking, pacemaking
•peacemaking • filmmaking
•printmaking • cabinetmaking
•moneymaking • merrymaking
•winemaking • home-making
•shoemaking • toolmaking
•bookmaking • troublemaking
•backbreaking • heartbreaking
•strikebreaking • housebreaking
•breathtaking • painstaking
•piss-taking • stocktaking
•self-seeking, unspeaking
•licking, ticking
•freethinking, shrinking, sinking, unblinking, unthinking, unwinking
•Mafeking • finicking • politicking
•liking, Viking
•self-cocking, self-mocking, shocking, stocking
•stonking • bluestocking • Hawking
•sleepwalking • streetwalking
•hillwalking • firewalking
•soaking, Woking
•pawnbroking • thought-provoking
•booking, Brooking
•onlooking
•spelunking, trunking
•motherfucking • bloodsucking
•bollocking
•hardworking, working
•erl-king • tear-jerking • metalworking
•outworking
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Cite this article
"licking." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "licking." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-licking.html "licking." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-licking.html |
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