Definition of lick in English:

lick

verb lɪklɪk

[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
Example sentencesExamples
- Plus, with its slightly sweet taste, pets will lick the floor or other surfaces.
- As well, neatness was taken into consideration and contestants had to lick their plates clean to advance.
- The screen went dark as a monstrous tongue licked the lens, then a hand swiped it several times.
- He slowly guided her lips to his and he kissed her, his tongue licking her lips slightly.
- She opened one lazy eye to see an orange cat licking his paw in front of her.
- The customer licked his plate clean and the dish was thus born.
- I nervously licked them, a habit of mine when nervous.
- I wondered if they ever got splinters in their tongues from licking the wooden bowls clean.
- I smiled as the two puppies licked each other.
- He watched it drizzle down his finger then slowly licked it off.
- I opened my eyes to see big tan puppy was licking me.
- I know dogs like to roll around in the dirt, but dogs also don't lick themselves clean.
- He licked it off, rather like a cat licking his paw clean.
- I sucked more of it from my finger, until it was licked, clean.
- The sickening sound of a saliva dripping tongue licking dry lips met my ears.
- He now always licks the lenses clean with his tongue before wiping them on a cloth.
- She'd lick the soup plate clean of everything except the peas and carrots, which she left in separate neat piles on either side of the dish.
- He then licked his finger and shook his head with a look of disgust.
- He paused, then licked the paw thoughtfully; the shields around the males vanished.
- I edged away as far as I could get, finished my chips, and decided that I'd pass on licking my fingers clean.
Synonyms
tongue, wet, moisten, wash, clean
taste, lap, slurp
1. 1.1no object, with adverbial of direction (of a flame, wave, or breeze) move lightly and quickly like a tongue.
  the flames licked around the wood
  Example sentencesExamples
  With a ‘whoosh’, the dried wood and grasses caught fire, and the flames licked around the pyre.
  When firefighters arrived thick smoke was billowing from the windows of three floors and flames were licking from the ground floor of the building, which is understood to be used as a market hall.
  Close by, a low fire burned, its flames licking hungrily at embers.
  Flames licked out of the exhaust as the plane lifted off the runway and began the ascent, and as the noise faded into the distance it seemed to get even more intense.
  He dropped the fireball, the ground erupting in a fierce inferno, brutal flames licking at the surrounding trees with their fiery tongues.
  Ceramic coals don't make a proper noise, for a start, and don't fall apart as the flames lick into them.
  That house went up in flames in, literally, 15 to 20 seconds after the flames were licking at the door.
  He looked up, horror in his straining eyes as the fire licked greedily along the edges of his parachute.
  He jumped over the fire, flames licking at the soles and bottoms of his hobnailed boots.
  The little white stick seemed to exhale appreciatively as the fire licked it.
  He dived right after her, with flames licking his boots as they passed thru the hole.
  Within seconds, the classroom was ablaze and flames began licking towards the roof and windows.
  The flames licked his face as he covered his face with his forearms and knelt to absorb the shock.
  Video footage taken inside the club showed flames licking at foam insulation behind the stage, which erupted into a fast-moving fire that sent fans stampeding for the exits.
  Eyewitnesses have reported ‘large flames licking up the outside of the building,’ suggesting that such a fire might easily have caused serious injury.
  His models have been drenched by a downpour, licked by flames, paint-sprayed by robots and flown on invisible wires high above a pool of lethal spikes.
  The flames were already licking through the panels with a fierce urgency that was terrifying to see.
  Flames were already licking up the smashed windscreen and into the car.
  We all watched the fire, the flames licking up towards the sky and the smoke curling high above our heads.
  Synonyms
  flicker, play, flick, flit, dart, ripple, dance
2informal Overcome (a person or problem) decisively.
all right Mary, I know when I'm licked
the Chancellor said that the government had inflation licked
Example sentencesExamples
- Okay, I know the Aussies have licked us time and time again.
- Well, I'm sure with counseling and stuff, you're going to lick this.
- So you can take the entire project on a disk and a laptop to your villa in Portugal and edit cost-free till you feel you've licked it.
- After not beating Leicester for 13 years, Gregory thought he had them licked when his side equalised 15 minutes from time.
Synonyms
overcome, get the better of, solve, find an answer to, find a solution to, conquer, beat, quell, control, govern, master, curb, check, bridle, tame
1. 2.1 Beat or thrash (someone)
  she stands tall and could lick any man in the place
  Example sentencesExamples
  He said that these same parishioners would eventually turn around and lick him with some big stones.
  I hope that the brevity of this war does not convince Americans that we can lick anybody on the block.
  If you see him, lick him with a stone or something.
  Synonyms
  defeat, beat, best, conquer, trounce, thrash, rout, vanquish, overcome, overwhelm, overpower, destroy, drub, get the better of, triumph over, prevail over, gain a victory over, win against, win over, worst, subdue, quash, crush
2. 2.2lick someone/something downWest Indian Cut or knock someone or something down.
  the boy was quiet, but if you cross he path, he lick you down
  Example sentencesExamples
  The Atlantic coast of the island is not that great for swimming, a bit too rough, and hence, one evening I did walk in waist high, but the waves were licking me down so I didn't tarry.

noun lɪklɪk

1An act of licking something with the tongue.
Sammy gave his fingers a lick
Example sentencesExamples
- He does that puppy-tongue lick of his lower lip that someone should tell him to stop doing.
- Take three licks / laps and then turn the bowl over on the floor.
- Kevin tried to intercede at one point but got his head covered with big wet sloppy tongue licks for his trouble.
- A small smile broke out across her face as the bunny gave her finger a quick lick, then snorted at her.
- He gave his dry lips a quick lick with his tongue and took in a breath.
- He shuffled closer to her and gave her a soft lick on the cheek.
- He grinned back, then gave her a lick on the cheek.
- Do you know that it takes an average of 50 licks to polish off a single scoop of ice cream cone?
- I extracted slow licks from a single scoop of vanilla.
- She nudged him with her nose, and gave him a brief lick of her long tongue before turning and trotting away.
- She was giggling, occasionally giving him a kiss, a lick, a nibble.
- She reached up and gave him a short lick on the cheek.
- The mango flavour was sharp and sweet, but desperately rich; after a few licks my tongue started losing the battle.
- The lion looked away again and gave itself an embarrassed lick.
- For a second the dog hesitated, then as if compelled by a command, Rocky pounced on Kevin trailing his rough tongue all over his master's face in long slurpy licks.
- It would only take a few snap of his jaws and a few licks of his fingers for the thing to be done and irreversible.
- She looked up, gave me a little lick, and all was well in my world.
- He toyed with receivers in ways that allowed quarterbacks to think he'd been beaten, only to come back, quicker than a snake lick, and steal the pass.
- And he simply can't resist giving my muffin a playful lick as soon as my back is turned.
1. 1.1 A quick movement of flame, water, etc.
  a tiny lick of flame flickered round the mouth of the flame-thrower
  Example sentencesExamples
  Each small lick of flame lights another blade of grass, quickly spreading until everything is a glowing inferno of destruction.
  Michelle smiled at Adam, and Deanna felt a tiny lick of jealousy as he smiled back.
  We end with a whispered prayer, a rush of wind, the lick of flames.
  ‘She swears she saw a lick of flame shoot up from the opening,’ explained Chris.
  The barrel flared at the end, frothing out a lick of flame before the second round dispersed.
  On the edge of the horizon, slightly to the southwest, there was a lick of flame.
  Suddenly, a lick of flame leapt from the tip of the staff.
  After only a few thousand feet, I was quite pleased to note the phantom licks of ‘flame’ had totally disappeared.
  Neither seemed to pay any attention to the licks of flame jetting from the angel's sword.
  My mother was standing at the kitchen window watching a column of thick black smoke rising into the sky, punctuated by the odd lick of flame.
  I could almost see licks of flame dancing in the highly flammable, potent alcohol.
  His eyes were transfixed in a blank stare, not seeming to recognize anything around him, but focused intently upon the licks of flame that jumped and fluttered off of the burning wood beneath the cooking grate.
  She groaned as that lick of flame deep inside of her flared up again.
  He focused all his energy on that hand, and a small lick of flame sparked to life in his palm.
  To hundreds of varieties of eucalyptus, acacia, wattles, banksia trees, grasses and weeds, the lick of flame is a welcome trigger that kindles life in their seed pods and generates ash to fertilise the soil.
  The crackle and lick of the flames accompanies the chirping crickets and rustling leaves that surround him.
  No matter how violent matters got, no matter how high the licks of flame reached, she was always consistent.
  He imagined the roar and lick and gulp of flames.
  Mary saw the gun pointed straight at her and then saw the small lick of flame that came out of the barrel before actually hearing the shot.
2informal A light coating or quick application of something, especially paint.
she needed to give the kitchen a lick of paint
Example sentencesExamples
- We prefer big hitters who can't field a lick to gold-glove shortstops with their .243 batting averages.
- Your front door might benefit from a lick of paint too.
- I didn't care a lick about any of them.
- It's set in the corner of the stairwell, made of cheap and rather hollow-sounding wood, and could do with a lick of paint.
- The whole thing doesn't make a lick of sense, but it doesn't matter.
- A lick of paint around the windowsills and a neatly manicured lawn might impress a prospective buyer.
- Then, a couple of years ago, it had a lick of paint and a bit of internal surgery and, lo and behold, it changed name and nationality in one go.
- Now who do I know who would like to buy a slightly used T-Bird that needed a lick of paint?
- This is about more than giving the Tories' tarnished image a quick lick of varnish.
- The day we broke up it was like the whole school suddenly got a fresh lick of paint.
- All it needs is a lick of paint and a bit of work on the kitchen.
- The sequel gives the concept a fresh lick of paint without moving it too far forward.
- He would have been fine in the movie if the script made a lick of sense.
- I said to the players after the game that it had come down to a lick of paint.
- According to the batting coach who never could hit a lick, you've got three changes - psychological, physical, and mental.
- So maybe the cowboy boots do look kind of spiffy after a few licks of silver, purple, yellow and green.
- He doesn't give a lick about you and he'll never look your way again.
- What would it cost for a lick of paint, some artificial flowers and some air fresheners?
- I didn't care a lick about what they were talking about.
- I brought it back to London and it came up a treat after a quick lick of creosote.
Synonyms
dab, bit, drop, dash, spot, touch, hint, dribble, splash, sprinkle, trickle
little
informal smidgen, tad
1. 2.1US in singular, usually with negative An extremely small amount of something abstract.
  there's not a lick of suspense in the entire plot
  Example sentencesExamples
  Back then, we had hundreds of thousands of mainframe computer programs that didn't make a lick of sense to even the smartest programmer trying to read their code.
  But the fat little guy was a detriment last season, tossing up too many bad shots and not playing a lick of defense.
  Also, initially, he was very uncomfortable walking around Sofia by himself, as he doesn't speak a lick of Bulgarian.
  That doesn't do a lick of good.
  And the threat levels are publicly known, so any terrorist with a lick of sense will simply wait until the threat level goes down.
  Having been in captivity since she was born, her parents never cared a lick about sex education.
  Don't yet give a lick of info about yourself.
  All the talking in the world isn't going to make a lick of difference.
  Does this action make a lick of sense to anybody?
  Sadly, none of them are worth a lick of spite.
  If they don't it doesn't matter a lick, though, because the music still sounds genuine - no hype required.
  He got this job in November without a lick of managerial experience and only three years of service as a major league coach.
  I will select a swaybacked old nag without a lick of spirit.
  This kid has been to the States a few times and still doesn't speak a lick of English.
  Since Yuen doesn't speak a lick of English, this feature has a voice over for us English speaking moviegoers.
  I don't see a lick of difference, nothing.
  And now I look at my kids with their little, you know, video games every day, and they don't speak a lick of Spanish.
  There can be no doubt that you could run a fairly good marathon and never do a lick of anaerobic training.
  The most inventive shorts are in the animation category, particularly two painstakingly made stop-motion movies with not a lick of dialogue.
3informal A short phrase or solo in jazz or popular music.
cool guitar licks
Example sentencesExamples
- These types of impressive, hyperactive guitar licks cover much of the album.
- He plays part of a familiar blues lick, but then resolves it in entirely nonstandard fashion.
- Several tracks also include chilled vocals, as well as some fiery jazz licks from the clarinetist/sax player.
- Of course, he's not just a momentary idol that happens to pack a few hot hard-rock licks.
- The sophomore set is a slightly more grown-up and all round musical affair that at times meanders from jazz licks through ambient auras, but is ultimately built on a foundation of '80s electronica.
- It's a darker, slow-moving swirl of bluesy guitar licks in a nebula of electronic debris and feedback drone.
- There's something very personal about the relaxed, just-behind-the-beat way in which the three principals phrase the licks, riffs and melodies that define their sound.
- Each song combines similar elements - hip hop loops, cheesy retro keyboards, sampled jazz licks, and various other found sounds.
- It hits the bullseye, with its rumbling bassline and driving, Pete Townsend-lite guitar licks.
- An outstanding guitarist in his own right, Thompson obviously spotted the potential of George's jazz licks within the R & B idiom.
- The music is an odd mix of very cinematic orchestral pieces, techno, and hot guitar licks.
- Yearning guitar licks, frenetic scratching, and bombastic drums are the order of the day on nearly all of the tracks giving the album both a cohesive and monotonous feel.
- He assures the show was ‘really cool’ and that the crowd really seemed to relate to the mainstream mélange of new punk and straight up rock licks.
- The opening guitar licks cut through the radio's silence.
- Displaying boundless energy, he hopped up on the DJ booth and scratched for a bit, played a few licks on the guitar, pounded on the keyboard for a bit, then took a turn at the slide guitar and then massacred the drum kit.
- It features razor sharp guitar and breezy keyboard licks, but has too many fancy synth sounds.
- But he's churning out rock riffs and distorted licks, adding in some quite throaty vocals as well.
- Moving into samba territory, the song shuffles among spicy guitar licks and a bottom-dwelling bassline.
- Her ethereal vocals soared over a backdrop of lush guitar licks, deep bass and softly crashing drums during their stunning half-hour set.
- It's a rather fine blend of catchy chorus, guitar licks and virile vocals.
4informal A smart blow.
his mother gave him several licks for daring to blaspheme
Example sentencesExamples
- Michael got a few licks in while he could.
- Now if it is barbaric to flog in school where it really should start, how can licks be of any help to a hard-back criminal?
- Look like they took a helluva lick, but they ain't dead.
- Nearly as important as glass and magnification is a device's ability to take a few licks.
- Many believed that you should have taken your licks and accepted the situation.
Synonyms
knock, bang, hit, punch, thump, smack, crack, thwack, buffet, jolt, stroke, rap, tap, clip

Phrases

at a lick

informal At a fast pace.
the hearse was going at a fair lick for that normally sedate vehicle
Example sentencesExamples
- Taken at a lick, the most famous of the plays, The Playboy of the Western World, is a triumph.
- Online recruitment revenues are growing at a lick - 43 per cent year on year for the first three quarters of 2003-and are expected to grow to £200m by 2008.
- Soaring sales of secure routers helped the enterprise router market grow at a lick in Q1.
- It's fine when you're moving at a lick but it's devoid of feel at low speed.
- Despite his absence the parliament is going up at a lick and looking more awesome by the day.
Synonyms
speed, rate, pace, tempo, velocity, momentum

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
Example sentencesExamples
- Look at the way you skip from chore to chore, always doing everything with a lick and a promise.
- Is one's spiritual life really satisfied with a lick and a promise?
- Generally, players sign balls with a lick and a promise.
- The chow's coat requires more than a lick and a promise from the chow's owner.
- Wobbling into the bathroom, she picked up her toothbrush and gave her teeth a lick and a promise.
- The global fiat currency is based on nothing more than a lick and a promise and long-term it's headed toward complete restructuring.

lick someone's arse

vulgar slang Be excessively obsequious towards someone.
Synonyms
be obsequious to, be sycophantic to, be servile to, curry favour with, pay court to, play up to, crawl to, creep to, ingratiate oneself with, dance attendance on, fall over oneself for, kowtow to, toady to, truckle to, bow and scrape before, grovel before, cringe before, abase oneself before

lick someone's boots

Be excessively obsequious towards someone.
Synonyms
be obsequious to, be sycophantic to, be servile to, curry favour with, pay court to, play up to, crawl to, creep to, ingratiate oneself with, dance attendance on, fall over oneself for, kowtow to, toady to, truckle to, bow and scrape before, grovel before, cringe before, abase oneself before

lick one's lips (or chops)

Look forward to something with eager anticipation.
I'd be licking my lips at the thought of working with a coach like that
Example sentencesExamples
- I know I'll be taken to task for this stand, that many parents who are licking their chops in anticipation of getting the $1, 000 would probably want to murder me.
- Many who live here preach bitterly of its negative impacts, while developers lick their chops in anticipation of windfall profits.
- Republican strategists are licking their chops at the thought of running against this guy.
- ‘They don't want to appear to be licking their chops too much,’ observes a New York University business professor.
- But please, let's not have the army of advisers pulling on their selling boots and licking their chops at the prospect of Christmas in the Bahamas on the back of the fat commissions about to come their way.
- Some smart attorney could easily identify at least ten possible criminal acts in those two slaps, and dad would be licking his chops in anticipation of a generous court award for his son's few moments of discomfort.
- He one day looked me up and down, licking his chops at me, and all that I could muster up was, ‘Don't look at me like that.’
- Plus, you'll have every proponent, project manager and contractor in the room licking their chops in anticipation.
- The ink isn't even dry on their most recent deficit-busting tax cut, and they're already licking their chops over their next one.
- But while snow begins to flutter effortlessly from the sky and wreaths begin to pop up on front doors, Canadian children everywhere smile and lick their chops in anticipation.

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
Example sentencesExamples
- For now, lick your wounds, dry your tears, and regain your strength… and then we will continue the battle.
- Devastated at being let down by her own body, she has been licking her wounds, taking stock, trying to recover the self-belief that propelled her to victory in the Olympics, the European Championships and two Commonwealth Games.
- Rarely can a Cup Final have ended in such dramatic circumstances, and while Longford rejoiced, the Waterford players retired to lick their wounds and to look forward to real life again.
- There are a significant number of investors still licking their wounds from being over - exposed to equities from the turn of the century.
- Before licking your wounds and going off with your tail between your legs, learn to make fights scratch-free.
- While America and the Bahamas were celebrating, Britain's athletes were left licking their wounds.
- They are seasoned, hardened competitors who usually leave rivals licking their wounds.
- The loser licks his wounds and accepts the verdict.
- But while many clubs are still licking their wounds - and a few are still in intensive care - the collapse of the deal could be the best thing to have happened to football in years.
- The objectors retreated to their homes, licking their wounds and gathering their strength for a fight against two other wind farms.

not be able to do something a lick

informal Be totally incompetent at the specified activity.
I couldn't sing a lick

Derivatives

licker

noun

He's accused the Coalition of being lickers and suck-holes.
Example sentencesExamples
- But no, I'm not a bum licker, and I don't think they like my attitude because I could see that I was not going to get the manufacturing contract.
- The click/snap is actually a replacement for the lick; you will find that most of these dogs aren't lickers.
- As it turned out, my licker refused to use the whipped cream, as he objected to the taste (and quite right too - it was that disgusting synthetic stuff that comes out of a can).
- The press seems to be butt lickers for anyone in power.

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.

language from Middle English:
The word language is from Old French langage, based on Latin lingua ‘tongue’, which is also found in linguist (late 16th century), and goes back to an Indo-European root shared with lick (Old English). The expression to lick someone into shape comes from the old tradition that bear cubs were born a formless mass, and had literally to be licked into shape by their mothers. Lingo (mid 17th century) is probably from the Portuguese form of lingua.

Rhymes

artic, brick, chick, click, crick, flick, hand-pick, hic, hick, kick, mick, miskick, nick, pic, pick, quick, rick, shtick, sic, sick, slick, snick, stick, thick, tic, tick, trick, Vic, wick

Definition of lick in US English:

lick

verbliklɪk

[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 he licked at his damaged hand with his tongue
Example sentencesExamples
- I smiled as the two puppies licked each other.
- I know dogs like to roll around in the dirt, but dogs also don't lick themselves clean.
- He then licked his finger and shook his head with a look of disgust.
- She'd lick the soup plate clean of everything except the peas and carrots, which she left in separate neat piles on either side of the dish.
- The sickening sound of a saliva dripping tongue licking dry lips met my ears.
- The customer licked his plate clean and the dish was thus born.
- I edged away as far as I could get, finished my chips, and decided that I'd pass on licking my fingers clean.
- He slowly guided her lips to his and he kissed her, his tongue licking her lips slightly.
- I nervously licked them, a habit of mine when nervous.
- The screen went dark as a monstrous tongue licked the lens, then a hand swiped it several times.
- I wondered if they ever got splinters in their tongues from licking the wooden bowls clean.
- She opened one lazy eye to see an orange cat licking his paw in front of her.
- Plus, with its slightly sweet taste, pets will lick the floor or other surfaces.
- He licked it off, rather like a cat licking his paw clean.
- He watched it drizzle down his finger then slowly licked it off.
- As well, neatness was taken into consideration and contestants had to lick their plates clean to advance.
- He now always licks the lenses clean with his tongue before wiping them on a cloth.
- I sucked more of it from my finger, until it was licked, clean.
- He paused, then licked the paw thoughtfully; the shields around the males vanished.
- I opened my eyes to see big tan puppy was licking me.
Synonyms
tongue, wet, moisten, wash, clean
1. 1.1no object, with adverbial of direction (of a flame, wave, or breeze) move lightly and quickly like a tongue.
  the flames licked around the wood
  Example sentencesExamples
  He looked up, horror in his straining eyes as the fire licked greedily along the edges of his parachute.
  His models have been drenched by a downpour, licked by flames, paint-sprayed by robots and flown on invisible wires high above a pool of lethal spikes.
  He dropped the fireball, the ground erupting in a fierce inferno, brutal flames licking at the surrounding trees with their fiery tongues.
  Flames were already licking up the smashed windscreen and into the car.
  Ceramic coals don't make a proper noise, for a start, and don't fall apart as the flames lick into them.
  That house went up in flames in, literally, 15 to 20 seconds after the flames were licking at the door.
  Flames licked out of the exhaust as the plane lifted off the runway and began the ascent, and as the noise faded into the distance it seemed to get even more intense.
  With a ‘whoosh’, the dried wood and grasses caught fire, and the flames licked around the pyre.
  We all watched the fire, the flames licking up towards the sky and the smoke curling high above our heads.
  When firefighters arrived thick smoke was billowing from the windows of three floors and flames were licking from the ground floor of the building, which is understood to be used as a market hall.
  He dived right after her, with flames licking his boots as they passed thru the hole.
  The flames were already licking through the panels with a fierce urgency that was terrifying to see.
  Eyewitnesses have reported ‘large flames licking up the outside of the building,’ suggesting that such a fire might easily have caused serious injury.
  He jumped over the fire, flames licking at the soles and bottoms of his hobnailed boots.
  Within seconds, the classroom was ablaze and flames began licking towards the roof and windows.
  The little white stick seemed to exhale appreciatively as the fire licked it.
  The flames licked his face as he covered his face with his forearms and knelt to absorb the shock.
  Close by, a low fire burned, its flames licking hungrily at embers.
  Video footage taken inside the club showed flames licking at foam insulation behind the stage, which erupted into a fast-moving fire that sent fans stampeding for the exits.
  Synonyms
  flicker, play, flick, flit, dart, ripple, dance
2informal Defeat (someone) comprehensively.
all right Mary, I know when I'm licked
Example sentencesExamples
- So you can take the entire project on a disk and a laptop to your villa in Portugal and edit cost-free till you feel you've licked it.
- After not beating Leicester for 13 years, Gregory thought he had them licked when his side equalised 15 minutes from time.
- Well, I'm sure with counseling and stuff, you're going to lick this.
- Okay, I know the Aussies have licked us time and time again.
Synonyms
overcome, get the better of, solve, find an answer to, find a solution to, conquer, beat, quell, control, govern, master, curb, check, bridle, tame
1. 2.1 Thrash.
  she stands tall and could lick any man in the place
  Example sentencesExamples
  He said that these same parishioners would eventually turn around and lick him with some big stones.
  If you see him, lick him with a stone or something.
  I hope that the brevity of this war does not convince Americans that we can lick anybody on the block.
  Synonyms
  defeat, beat, best, conquer, trounce, thrash, rout, vanquish, overcome, overwhelm, overpower, destroy, drub, get the better of, triumph over, prevail over, gain a victory over, win against, win over, worst, subdue, quash, crush

nounliklɪk

1An act of licking something with the tongue.
Sammy gave his fingers a long lick
Example sentencesExamples
- The lion looked away again and gave itself an embarrassed lick.
- And he simply can't resist giving my muffin a playful lick as soon as my back is turned.
- It would only take a few snap of his jaws and a few licks of his fingers for the thing to be done and irreversible.
- For a second the dog hesitated, then as if compelled by a command, Rocky pounced on Kevin trailing his rough tongue all over his master's face in long slurpy licks.
- She looked up, gave me a little lick, and all was well in my world.
- Do you know that it takes an average of 50 licks to polish off a single scoop of ice cream cone?
- Kevin tried to intercede at one point but got his head covered with big wet sloppy tongue licks for his trouble.
- A small smile broke out across her face as the bunny gave her finger a quick lick, then snorted at her.
- He toyed with receivers in ways that allowed quarterbacks to think he'd been beaten, only to come back, quicker than a snake lick, and steal the pass.
- Take three licks / laps and then turn the bowl over on the floor.
- The mango flavour was sharp and sweet, but desperately rich; after a few licks my tongue started losing the battle.
- She was giggling, occasionally giving him a kiss, a lick, a nibble.
- She nudged him with her nose, and gave him a brief lick of her long tongue before turning and trotting away.
- He does that puppy-tongue lick of his lower lip that someone should tell him to stop doing.
- He gave his dry lips a quick lick with his tongue and took in a breath.
- He grinned back, then gave her a lick on the cheek.
- I extracted slow licks from a single scoop of vanilla.
- He shuffled closer to her and gave her a soft lick on the cheek.
- She reached up and gave him a short lick on the cheek.
1. 1.1 A quick movement of flame, water, etc.
  Example sentencesExamples
  He imagined the roar and lick and gulp of flames.
  His eyes were transfixed in a blank stare, not seeming to recognize anything around him, but focused intently upon the licks of flame that jumped and fluttered off of the burning wood beneath the cooking grate.
  Neither seemed to pay any attention to the licks of flame jetting from the angel's sword.
  He focused all his energy on that hand, and a small lick of flame sparked to life in his palm.
  Suddenly, a lick of flame leapt from the tip of the staff.
  Mary saw the gun pointed straight at her and then saw the small lick of flame that came out of the barrel before actually hearing the shot.
  To hundreds of varieties of eucalyptus, acacia, wattles, banksia trees, grasses and weeds, the lick of flame is a welcome trigger that kindles life in their seed pods and generates ash to fertilise the soil.
  My mother was standing at the kitchen window watching a column of thick black smoke rising into the sky, punctuated by the odd lick of flame.
  The crackle and lick of the flames accompanies the chirping crickets and rustling leaves that surround him.
  We end with a whispered prayer, a rush of wind, the lick of flames.
  Michelle smiled at Adam, and Deanna felt a tiny lick of jealousy as he smiled back.
  On the edge of the horizon, slightly to the southwest, there was a lick of flame.
  After only a few thousand feet, I was quite pleased to note the phantom licks of ‘flame’ had totally disappeared.
  I could almost see licks of flame dancing in the highly flammable, potent alcohol.
  No matter how violent matters got, no matter how high the licks of flame reached, she was always consistent.
  ‘She swears she saw a lick of flame shoot up from the opening,’ explained Chris.
  Each small lick of flame lights another blade of grass, quickly spreading until everything is a glowing inferno of destruction.
  She groaned as that lick of flame deep inside of her flared up again.
  The barrel flared at the end, frothing out a lick of flame before the second round dispersed.
2informal A light coating or quick application of something, especially paint.
all she'd need to do to the kitchen was give it a lick of paint
Example sentencesExamples
- I brought it back to London and it came up a treat after a quick lick of creosote.
- I said to the players after the game that it had come down to a lick of paint.
- Your front door might benefit from a lick of paint too.
- The whole thing doesn't make a lick of sense, but it doesn't matter.
- The sequel gives the concept a fresh lick of paint without moving it too far forward.
- Now who do I know who would like to buy a slightly used T-Bird that needed a lick of paint?
- It's set in the corner of the stairwell, made of cheap and rather hollow-sounding wood, and could do with a lick of paint.
- A lick of paint around the windowsills and a neatly manicured lawn might impress a prospective buyer.
- The day we broke up it was like the whole school suddenly got a fresh lick of paint.
- He doesn't give a lick about you and he'll never look your way again.
- This is about more than giving the Tories' tarnished image a quick lick of varnish.
- So maybe the cowboy boots do look kind of spiffy after a few licks of silver, purple, yellow and green.
- All it needs is a lick of paint and a bit of work on the kitchen.
- Then, a couple of years ago, it had a lick of paint and a bit of internal surgery and, lo and behold, it changed name and nationality in one go.
- We prefer big hitters who can't field a lick to gold-glove shortstops with their .243 batting averages.
- What would it cost for a lick of paint, some artificial flowers and some air fresheners?
- I didn't care a lick about any of them.
- According to the batting coach who never could hit a lick, you've got three changes - psychological, physical, and mental.
- He would have been fine in the movie if the script made a lick of sense.
- I didn't care a lick about what they were talking about.
Synonyms
dab, bit, drop, dash, spot, touch, hint, dribble, splash, sprinkle, trickle
1. 2.1US in singular, usually with negative An extremely small amount of something abstract.
  there's not a lick of suspense in the entire plot
  Example sentencesExamples
  And now I look at my kids with their little, you know, video games every day, and they don't speak a lick of Spanish.
  Sadly, none of them are worth a lick of spite.
  That doesn't do a lick of good.
  Does this action make a lick of sense to anybody?
  He got this job in November without a lick of managerial experience and only three years of service as a major league coach.
  Since Yuen doesn't speak a lick of English, this feature has a voice over for us English speaking moviegoers.
  The most inventive shorts are in the animation category, particularly two painstakingly made stop-motion movies with not a lick of dialogue.
  I don't see a lick of difference, nothing.
  If they don't it doesn't matter a lick, though, because the music still sounds genuine - no hype required.
  There can be no doubt that you could run a fairly good marathon and never do a lick of anaerobic training.
  Don't yet give a lick of info about yourself.
  Having been in captivity since she was born, her parents never cared a lick about sex education.
  Also, initially, he was very uncomfortable walking around Sofia by himself, as he doesn't speak a lick of Bulgarian.
  Back then, we had hundreds of thousands of mainframe computer programs that didn't make a lick of sense to even the smartest programmer trying to read their code.
  But the fat little guy was a detriment last season, tossing up too many bad shots and not playing a lick of defense.
  All the talking in the world isn't going to make a lick of difference.
  And the threat levels are publicly known, so any terrorist with a lick of sense will simply wait until the threat level goes down.
  This kid has been to the States a few times and still doesn't speak a lick of English.
  I will select a swaybacked old nag without a lick of spirit.
3often licksinformal A short phrase or solo in jazz or popular music.
cool guitar licks
Example sentencesExamples
- He assures the show was ‘really cool’ and that the crowd really seemed to relate to the mainstream mélange of new punk and straight up rock licks.
- Her ethereal vocals soared over a backdrop of lush guitar licks, deep bass and softly crashing drums during their stunning half-hour set.
- There's something very personal about the relaxed, just-behind-the-beat way in which the three principals phrase the licks, riffs and melodies that define their sound.
- It hits the bullseye, with its rumbling bassline and driving, Pete Townsend-lite guitar licks.
- Each song combines similar elements - hip hop loops, cheesy retro keyboards, sampled jazz licks, and various other found sounds.
- The opening guitar licks cut through the radio's silence.
- The sophomore set is a slightly more grown-up and all round musical affair that at times meanders from jazz licks through ambient auras, but is ultimately built on a foundation of '80s electronica.
- But he's churning out rock riffs and distorted licks, adding in some quite throaty vocals as well.
- An outstanding guitarist in his own right, Thompson obviously spotted the potential of George's jazz licks within the R & B idiom.
- Yearning guitar licks, frenetic scratching, and bombastic drums are the order of the day on nearly all of the tracks giving the album both a cohesive and monotonous feel.
- It's a rather fine blend of catchy chorus, guitar licks and virile vocals.
- He plays part of a familiar blues lick, but then resolves it in entirely nonstandard fashion.
- Moving into samba territory, the song shuffles among spicy guitar licks and a bottom-dwelling bassline.
- It's a darker, slow-moving swirl of bluesy guitar licks in a nebula of electronic debris and feedback drone.
- The music is an odd mix of very cinematic orchestral pieces, techno, and hot guitar licks.
- These types of impressive, hyperactive guitar licks cover much of the album.
- Displaying boundless energy, he hopped up on the DJ booth and scratched for a bit, played a few licks on the guitar, pounded on the keyboard for a bit, then took a turn at the slide guitar and then massacred the drum kit.
- Several tracks also include chilled vocals, as well as some fiery jazz licks from the clarinetist/sax player.
- Of course, he's not just a momentary idol that happens to pack a few hot hard-rock licks.
- It features razor sharp guitar and breezy keyboard licks, but has too many fancy synth sounds.
4informal A smart blow.
his mother gave him several licks for daring to blaspheme
Example sentencesExamples
- Now if it is barbaric to flog in school where it really should start, how can licks be of any help to a hard-back criminal?
- Look like they took a helluva lick, but they ain't dead.
- Nearly as important as glass and magnification is a device's ability to take a few licks.
- Michael got a few licks in while he could.
- Many believed that you should have taken your licks and accepted the situation.
Synonyms
knock, bang, hit, punch, thump, smack, crack, thwack, buffet, jolt, stroke, rap, tap, clip

Phrases

at a lick

informal At a fast pace; with considerable speed.
Example sentencesExamples
- It's fine when you're moving at a lick but it's devoid of feel at low speed.
- Despite his absence the parliament is going up at a lick and looking more awesome by the day.
- Online recruitment revenues are growing at a lick - 43 per cent year on year for the first three quarters of 2003-and are expected to grow to £200m by 2008.
- Soaring sales of secure routers helped the enterprise router market grow at a lick in Q1.
- Taken at a lick, the most famous of the plays, The Playboy of the Western World, is a triumph.
Synonyms
speed, rate, pace, tempo, velocity, momentum

a lick and a promise

informal A hasty performance of a task, especially of cleaning something.
Example sentencesExamples
- Look at the way you skip from chore to chore, always doing everything with a lick and a promise.
- The global fiat currency is based on nothing more than a lick and a promise and long-term it's headed toward complete restructuring.
- Is one's spiritual life really satisfied with a lick and a promise?
- Wobbling into the bathroom, she picked up her toothbrush and gave her teeth a lick and a promise.
- The chow's coat requires more than a lick and a promise from the chow's owner.
- Generally, players sign balls with a lick and a promise.

lick someone's boots

Be excessively obsequious toward someone.
Synonyms
be obsequious to, be sycophantic to, be servile to, curry favour with, pay court to, play up to, crawl to, creep to, ingratiate oneself with, dance attendance on, fall over oneself for, kowtow to, toady to, truckle to, bow and scrape before, grovel before, cringe before, abase oneself before

lick one's lips (or chops)

Look forward to something with eager anticipation.
Example sentencesExamples
- But please, let's not have the army of advisers pulling on their selling boots and licking their chops at the prospect of Christmas in the Bahamas on the back of the fat commissions about to come their way.
- The ink isn't even dry on their most recent deficit-busting tax cut, and they're already licking their chops over their next one.
- Many who live here preach bitterly of its negative impacts, while developers lick their chops in anticipation of windfall profits.
- Some smart attorney could easily identify at least ten possible criminal acts in those two slaps, and dad would be licking his chops in anticipation of a generous court award for his son's few moments of discomfort.
- He one day looked me up and down, licking his chops at me, and all that I could muster up was, ‘Don't look at me like that.’
- Republican strategists are licking their chops at the thought of running against this guy.
- I know I'll be taken to task for this stand, that many parents who are licking their chops in anticipation of getting the $1, 000 would probably want to murder me.
- But while snow begins to flutter effortlessly from the sky and wreaths begin to pop up on front doors, Canadian children everywhere smile and lick their chops in anticipation.
- Plus, you'll have every proponent, project manager and contractor in the room licking their chops in anticipation.
- ‘They don't want to appear to be licking their chops too much,’ observes a New York University business professor.

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
Example sentencesExamples
- Devastated at being let down by her own body, she has been licking her wounds, taking stock, trying to recover the self-belief that propelled her to victory in the Olympics, the European Championships and two Commonwealth Games.
- For now, lick your wounds, dry your tears, and regain your strength… and then we will continue the battle.
- The loser licks his wounds and accepts the verdict.
- They are seasoned, hardened competitors who usually leave rivals licking their wounds.
- Rarely can a Cup Final have ended in such dramatic circumstances, and while Longford rejoiced, the Waterford players retired to lick their wounds and to look forward to real life again.
- There are a significant number of investors still licking their wounds from being over - exposed to equities from the turn of the century.
- But while many clubs are still licking their wounds - and a few are still in intensive care - the collapse of the deal could be the best thing to have happened to football in years.
- While America and the Bahamas were celebrating, Britain's athletes were left licking their wounds.
- Before licking your wounds and going off with your tail between your legs, learn to make fights scratch-free.
- The objectors retreated to their homes, licking their wounds and gathering their strength for a fight against two other wind farms.

not be able to do something a lick

informal Be totally incompetent at the specified activity.
I couldn't sing a lick

lick someone's ass

vulgar slang Be excessively obsequious toward someone.
Synonyms
be obsequious to, be sycophantic to, be servile to, curry favour with, pay court to, play up to, crawl to, creep to, ingratiate oneself with, dance attendance on, fall over oneself for, kowtow to, toady to, truckle to, bow and scrape before, grovel before, cringe before, abase oneself before

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.

单词	lick
释义	Definition of lick in English: lick verb lɪklɪk [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 Example sentencesExamples Plus, with its slightly sweet taste, pets will lick the floor or other surfaces. As well, neatness was taken into consideration and contestants had to lick their plates clean to advance. The screen went dark as a monstrous tongue licked the lens, then a hand swiped it several times. He slowly guided her lips to his and he kissed her, his tongue licking her lips slightly. She opened one lazy eye to see an orange cat licking his paw in front of her. The customer licked his plate clean and the dish was thus born. I nervously licked them, a habit of mine when nervous. I wondered if they ever got splinters in their tongues from licking the wooden bowls clean. I smiled as the two puppies licked each other. He watched it drizzle down his finger then slowly licked it off. I opened my eyes to see big tan puppy was licking me. I know dogs like to roll around in the dirt, but dogs also don't lick themselves clean. He licked it off, rather like a cat licking his paw clean. I sucked more of it from my finger, until it was licked, clean. The sickening sound of a saliva dripping tongue licking dry lips met my ears. He now always licks the lenses clean with his tongue before wiping them on a cloth. She'd lick the soup plate clean of everything except the peas and carrots, which she left in separate neat piles on either side of the dish. He then licked his finger and shook his head with a look of disgust. He paused, then licked the paw thoughtfully; the shields around the males vanished. I edged away as far as I could get, finished my chips, and decided that I'd pass on licking my fingers clean. Synonyms tongue, wet, moisten, wash, clean taste, lap, slurp 1.1no object, with adverbial of direction (of a flame, wave, or breeze) move lightly and quickly like a tongue. the flames licked around the wood Example sentencesExamples With a ‘whoosh’, the dried wood and grasses caught fire, and the flames licked around the pyre. When firefighters arrived thick smoke was billowing from the windows of three floors and flames were licking from the ground floor of the building, which is understood to be used as a market hall. Close by, a low fire burned, its flames licking hungrily at embers. Flames licked out of the exhaust as the plane lifted off the runway and began the ascent, and as the noise faded into the distance it seemed to get even more intense. He dropped the fireball, the ground erupting in a fierce inferno, brutal flames licking at the surrounding trees with their fiery tongues. Ceramic coals don't make a proper noise, for a start, and don't fall apart as the flames lick into them. That house went up in flames in, literally, 15 to 20 seconds after the flames were licking at the door. He looked up, horror in his straining eyes as the fire licked greedily along the edges of his parachute. He jumped over the fire, flames licking at the soles and bottoms of his hobnailed boots. The little white stick seemed to exhale appreciatively as the fire licked it. He dived right after her, with flames licking his boots as they passed thru the hole. Within seconds, the classroom was ablaze and flames began licking towards the roof and windows. The flames licked his face as he covered his face with his forearms and knelt to absorb the shock. Video footage taken inside the club showed flames licking at foam insulation behind the stage, which erupted into a fast-moving fire that sent fans stampeding for the exits. Eyewitnesses have reported ‘large flames licking up the outside of the building,’ suggesting that such a fire might easily have caused serious injury. His models have been drenched by a downpour, licked by flames, paint-sprayed by robots and flown on invisible wires high above a pool of lethal spikes. The flames were already licking through the panels with a fierce urgency that was terrifying to see. Flames were already licking up the smashed windscreen and into the car. We all watched the fire, the flames licking up towards the sky and the smoke curling high above our heads. Synonyms flicker, play, flick, flit, dart, ripple, dance 2informal Overcome (a person or problem) decisively. all right Mary, I know when I'm licked the Chancellor said that the government had inflation licked Example sentencesExamples Okay, I know the Aussies have licked us time and time again. Well, I'm sure with counseling and stuff, you're going to lick this. So you can take the entire project on a disk and a laptop to your villa in Portugal and edit cost-free till you feel you've licked it. After not beating Leicester for 13 years, Gregory thought he had them licked when his side equalised 15 minutes from time. Synonyms overcome, get the better of, solve, find an answer to, find a solution to, conquer, beat, quell, control, govern, master, curb, check, bridle, tame 2.1 Beat or thrash (someone) she stands tall and could lick any man in the place Example sentencesExamples He said that these same parishioners would eventually turn around and lick him with some big stones. I hope that the brevity of this war does not convince Americans that we can lick anybody on the block. If you see him, lick him with a stone or something. Synonyms defeat, beat, best, conquer, trounce, thrash, rout, vanquish, overcome, overwhelm, overpower, destroy, drub, get the better of, triumph over, prevail over, gain a victory over, win against, win over, worst, subdue, quash, crush 2.2lick someone/something downWest Indian Cut or knock someone or something down. the boy was quiet, but if you cross he path, he lick you down Example sentencesExamples The Atlantic coast of the island is not that great for swimming, a bit too rough, and hence, one evening I did walk in waist high, but the waves were licking me down so I didn't tarry. noun lɪklɪk 1An act of licking something with the tongue. Sammy gave his fingers a lick Example sentencesExamples He does that puppy-tongue lick of his lower lip that someone should tell him to stop doing. Take three licks / laps and then turn the bowl over on the floor. Kevin tried to intercede at one point but got his head covered with big wet sloppy tongue licks for his trouble. A small smile broke out across her face as the bunny gave her finger a quick lick, then snorted at her. He gave his dry lips a quick lick with his tongue and took in a breath. He shuffled closer to her and gave her a soft lick on the cheek. He grinned back, then gave her a lick on the cheek. Do you know that it takes an average of 50 licks to polish off a single scoop of ice cream cone? I extracted slow licks from a single scoop of vanilla. She nudged him with her nose, and gave him a brief lick of her long tongue before turning and trotting away. She was giggling, occasionally giving him a kiss, a lick, a nibble. She reached up and gave him a short lick on the cheek. The mango flavour was sharp and sweet, but desperately rich; after a few licks my tongue started losing the battle. The lion looked away again and gave itself an embarrassed lick. For a second the dog hesitated, then as if compelled by a command, Rocky pounced on Kevin trailing his rough tongue all over his master's face in long slurpy licks. It would only take a few snap of his jaws and a few licks of his fingers for the thing to be done and irreversible. She looked up, gave me a little lick, and all was well in my world. He toyed with receivers in ways that allowed quarterbacks to think he'd been beaten, only to come back, quicker than a snake lick, and steal the pass. And he simply can't resist giving my muffin a playful lick as soon as my back is turned. 1.1 A quick movement of flame, water, etc. a tiny lick of flame flickered round the mouth of the flame-thrower Example sentencesExamples Each small lick of flame lights another blade of grass, quickly spreading until everything is a glowing inferno of destruction. Michelle smiled at Adam, and Deanna felt a tiny lick of jealousy as he smiled back. We end with a whispered prayer, a rush of wind, the lick of flames. ‘She swears she saw a lick of flame shoot up from the opening,’ explained Chris. The barrel flared at the end, frothing out a lick of flame before the second round dispersed. On the edge of the horizon, slightly to the southwest, there was a lick of flame. Suddenly, a lick of flame leapt from the tip of the staff. After only a few thousand feet, I was quite pleased to note the phantom licks of ‘flame’ had totally disappeared. Neither seemed to pay any attention to the licks of flame jetting from the angel's sword. My mother was standing at the kitchen window watching a column of thick black smoke rising into the sky, punctuated by the odd lick of flame. I could almost see licks of flame dancing in the highly flammable, potent alcohol. His eyes were transfixed in a blank stare, not seeming to recognize anything around him, but focused intently upon the licks of flame that jumped and fluttered off of the burning wood beneath the cooking grate. She groaned as that lick of flame deep inside of her flared up again. He focused all his energy on that hand, and a small lick of flame sparked to life in his palm. To hundreds of varieties of eucalyptus, acacia, wattles, banksia trees, grasses and weeds, the lick of flame is a welcome trigger that kindles life in their seed pods and generates ash to fertilise the soil. The crackle and lick of the flames accompanies the chirping crickets and rustling leaves that surround him. No matter how violent matters got, no matter how high the licks of flame reached, she was always consistent. He imagined the roar and lick and gulp of flames. Mary saw the gun pointed straight at her and then saw the small lick of flame that came out of the barrel before actually hearing the shot. 2informal A light coating or quick application of something, especially paint. she needed to give the kitchen a lick of paint Example sentencesExamples We prefer big hitters who can't field a lick to gold-glove shortstops with their .243 batting averages. Your front door might benefit from a lick of paint too. I didn't care a lick about any of them. It's set in the corner of the stairwell, made of cheap and rather hollow-sounding wood, and could do with a lick of paint. The whole thing doesn't make a lick of sense, but it doesn't matter. A lick of paint around the windowsills and a neatly manicured lawn might impress a prospective buyer. Then, a couple of years ago, it had a lick of paint and a bit of internal surgery and, lo and behold, it changed name and nationality in one go. Now who do I know who would like to buy a slightly used T-Bird that needed a lick of paint? This is about more than giving the Tories' tarnished image a quick lick of varnish. The day we broke up it was like the whole school suddenly got a fresh lick of paint. All it needs is a lick of paint and a bit of work on the kitchen. The sequel gives the concept a fresh lick of paint without moving it too far forward. He would have been fine in the movie if the script made a lick of sense. I said to the players after the game that it had come down to a lick of paint. According to the batting coach who never could hit a lick, you've got three changes - psychological, physical, and mental. So maybe the cowboy boots do look kind of spiffy after a few licks of silver, purple, yellow and green. He doesn't give a lick about you and he'll never look your way again. What would it cost for a lick of paint, some artificial flowers and some air fresheners? I didn't care a lick about what they were talking about. I brought it back to London and it came up a treat after a quick lick of creosote. Synonyms dab, bit, drop, dash, spot, touch, hint, dribble, splash, sprinkle, trickle little informal smidgen, tad 2.1US in singular, usually with negative An extremely small amount of something abstract. there's not a lick of suspense in the entire plot Example sentencesExamples Back then, we had hundreds of thousands of mainframe computer programs that didn't make a lick of sense to even the smartest programmer trying to read their code. But the fat little guy was a detriment last season, tossing up too many bad shots and not playing a lick of defense. Also, initially, he was very uncomfortable walking around Sofia by himself, as he doesn't speak a lick of Bulgarian. That doesn't do a lick of good. And the threat levels are publicly known, so any terrorist with a lick of sense will simply wait until the threat level goes down. Having been in captivity since she was born, her parents never cared a lick about sex education. Don't yet give a lick of info about yourself. All the talking in the world isn't going to make a lick of difference. Does this action make a lick of sense to anybody? Sadly, none of them are worth a lick of spite. If they don't it doesn't matter a lick, though, because the music still sounds genuine - no hype required. He got this job in November without a lick of managerial experience and only three years of service as a major league coach. I will select a swaybacked old nag without a lick of spirit. This kid has been to the States a few times and still doesn't speak a lick of English. Since Yuen doesn't speak a lick of English, this feature has a voice over for us English speaking moviegoers. I don't see a lick of difference, nothing. And now I look at my kids with their little, you know, video games every day, and they don't speak a lick of Spanish. There can be no doubt that you could run a fairly good marathon and never do a lick of anaerobic training. The most inventive shorts are in the animation category, particularly two painstakingly made stop-motion movies with not a lick of dialogue. 3informal A short phrase or solo in jazz or popular music. cool guitar licks Example sentencesExamples These types of impressive, hyperactive guitar licks cover much of the album. He plays part of a familiar blues lick, but then resolves it in entirely nonstandard fashion. Several tracks also include chilled vocals, as well as some fiery jazz licks from the clarinetist/sax player. Of course, he's not just a momentary idol that happens to pack a few hot hard-rock licks. The sophomore set is a slightly more grown-up and all round musical affair that at times meanders from jazz licks through ambient auras, but is ultimately built on a foundation of '80s electronica. It's a darker, slow-moving swirl of bluesy guitar licks in a nebula of electronic debris and feedback drone. There's something very personal about the relaxed, just-behind-the-beat way in which the three principals phrase the licks, riffs and melodies that define their sound. Each song combines similar elements - hip hop loops, cheesy retro keyboards, sampled jazz licks, and various other found sounds. It hits the bullseye, with its rumbling bassline and driving, Pete Townsend-lite guitar licks. An outstanding guitarist in his own right, Thompson obviously spotted the potential of George's jazz licks within the R & B idiom. The music is an odd mix of very cinematic orchestral pieces, techno, and hot guitar licks. Yearning guitar licks, frenetic scratching, and bombastic drums are the order of the day on nearly all of the tracks giving the album both a cohesive and monotonous feel. He assures the show was ‘really cool’ and that the crowd really seemed to relate to the mainstream mélange of new punk and straight up rock licks. The opening guitar licks cut through the radio's silence. Displaying boundless energy, he hopped up on the DJ booth and scratched for a bit, played a few licks on the guitar, pounded on the keyboard for a bit, then took a turn at the slide guitar and then massacred the drum kit. It features razor sharp guitar and breezy keyboard licks, but has too many fancy synth sounds. But he's churning out rock riffs and distorted licks, adding in some quite throaty vocals as well. Moving into samba territory, the song shuffles among spicy guitar licks and a bottom-dwelling bassline. Her ethereal vocals soared over a backdrop of lush guitar licks, deep bass and softly crashing drums during their stunning half-hour set. It's a rather fine blend of catchy chorus, guitar licks and virile vocals. 4informal A smart blow. his mother gave him several licks for daring to blaspheme Example sentencesExamples Michael got a few licks in while he could. Now if it is barbaric to flog in school where it really should start, how can licks be of any help to a hard-back criminal? Look like they took a helluva lick, but they ain't dead. Nearly as important as glass and magnification is a device's ability to take a few licks. Many believed that you should have taken your licks and accepted the situation. Synonyms knock, bang, hit, punch, thump, smack, crack, thwack, buffet, jolt, stroke, rap, tap, clip Phrases at a lick informal At a fast pace. the hearse was going at a fair lick for that normally sedate vehicle Example sentencesExamples Taken at a lick, the most famous of the plays, The Playboy of the Western World, is a triumph. Online recruitment revenues are growing at a lick - 43 per cent year on year for the first three quarters of 2003-and are expected to grow to £200m by 2008. Soaring sales of secure routers helped the enterprise router market grow at a lick in Q1. It's fine when you're moving at a lick but it's devoid of feel at low speed. Despite his absence the parliament is going up at a lick and looking more awesome by the day. Synonyms speed, rate, pace, tempo, velocity, momentum 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 Example sentencesExamples Look at the way you skip from chore to chore, always doing everything with a lick and a promise. Is one's spiritual life really satisfied with a lick and a promise? Generally, players sign balls with a lick and a promise. The chow's coat requires more than a lick and a promise from the chow's owner. Wobbling into the bathroom, she picked up her toothbrush and gave her teeth a lick and a promise. The global fiat currency is based on nothing more than a lick and a promise and long-term it's headed toward complete restructuring. lick someone's arse vulgar slang Be excessively obsequious towards someone. Synonyms be obsequious to, be sycophantic to, be servile to, curry favour with, pay court to, play up to, crawl to, creep to, ingratiate oneself with, dance attendance on, fall over oneself for, kowtow to, toady to, truckle to, bow and scrape before, grovel before, cringe before, abase oneself before lick someone's boots Be excessively obsequious towards someone. Synonyms be obsequious to, be sycophantic to, be servile to, curry favour with, pay court to, play up to, crawl to, creep to, ingratiate oneself with, dance attendance on, fall over oneself for, kowtow to, toady to, truckle to, bow and scrape before, grovel before, cringe before, abase oneself before lick one's lips (or chops) Look forward to something with eager anticipation. I'd be licking my lips at the thought of working with a coach like that Example sentencesExamples I know I'll be taken to task for this stand, that many parents who are licking their chops in anticipation of getting the $1, 000 would probably want to murder me. Many who live here preach bitterly of its negative impacts, while developers lick their chops in anticipation of windfall profits. Republican strategists are licking their chops at the thought of running against this guy. ‘They don't want to appear to be licking their chops too much,’ observes a New York University business professor. But please, let's not have the army of advisers pulling on their selling boots and licking their chops at the prospect of Christmas in the Bahamas on the back of the fat commissions about to come their way. Some smart attorney could easily identify at least ten possible criminal acts in those two slaps, and dad would be licking his chops in anticipation of a generous court award for his son's few moments of discomfort. He one day looked me up and down, licking his chops at me, and all that I could muster up was, ‘Don't look at me like that.’ Plus, you'll have every proponent, project manager and contractor in the room licking their chops in anticipation. The ink isn't even dry on their most recent deficit-busting tax cut, and they're already licking their chops over their next one. But while snow begins to flutter effortlessly from the sky and wreaths begin to pop up on front doors, Canadian children everywhere smile and lick their chops in anticipation. 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 Example sentencesExamples For now, lick your wounds, dry your tears, and regain your strength… and then we will continue the battle. Devastated at being let down by her own body, she has been licking her wounds, taking stock, trying to recover the self-belief that propelled her to victory in the Olympics, the European Championships and two Commonwealth Games. Rarely can a Cup Final have ended in such dramatic circumstances, and while Longford rejoiced, the Waterford players retired to lick their wounds and to look forward to real life again. There are a significant number of investors still licking their wounds from being over - exposed to equities from the turn of the century. Before licking your wounds and going off with your tail between your legs, learn to make fights scratch-free. While America and the Bahamas were celebrating, Britain's athletes were left licking their wounds. They are seasoned, hardened competitors who usually leave rivals licking their wounds. The loser licks his wounds and accepts the verdict. But while many clubs are still licking their wounds - and a few are still in intensive care - the collapse of the deal could be the best thing to have happened to football in years. The objectors retreated to their homes, licking their wounds and gathering their strength for a fight against two other wind farms. not be able to do something a lick informal Be totally incompetent at the specified activity. I couldn't sing a lick Derivatives licker noun He's accused the Coalition of being lickers and suck-holes. Example sentencesExamples But no, I'm not a bum licker, and I don't think they like my attitude because I could see that I was not going to get the manufacturing contract. The click/snap is actually a replacement for the lick; you will find that most of these dogs aren't lickers. As it turned out, my licker refused to use the whipped cream, as he objected to the taste (and quite right too - it was that disgusting synthetic stuff that comes out of a can). The press seems to be butt lickers for anyone in power. 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. language from Middle English: The word language is from Old French langage, based on Latin lingua ‘tongue’, which is also found in linguist (late 16th century), and goes back to an Indo-European root shared with lick (Old English). The expression to lick someone into shape comes from the old tradition that bear cubs were born a formless mass, and had literally to be licked into shape by their mothers. Lingo (mid 17th century) is probably from the Portuguese form of lingua. Rhymes artic, brick, chick, click, crick, flick, hand-pick, hic, hick, kick, mick, miskick, nick, pic, pick, quick, rick, shtick, sic, sick, slick, snick, stick, thick, tic, tick, trick, Vic, wick verb.1 phr. Definition of lick in US English: lick verbliklɪk [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 he licked at his damaged hand with his tongue Example sentencesExamples I smiled as the two puppies licked each other. I know dogs like to roll around in the dirt, but dogs also don't lick themselves clean. He then licked his finger and shook his head with a look of disgust. She'd lick the soup plate clean of everything except the peas and carrots, which she left in separate neat piles on either side of the dish. The sickening sound of a saliva dripping tongue licking dry lips met my ears. The customer licked his plate clean and the dish was thus born. I edged away as far as I could get, finished my chips, and decided that I'd pass on licking my fingers clean. He slowly guided her lips to his and he kissed her, his tongue licking her lips slightly. I nervously licked them, a habit of mine when nervous. The screen went dark as a monstrous tongue licked the lens, then a hand swiped it several times. I wondered if they ever got splinters in their tongues from licking the wooden bowls clean. She opened one lazy eye to see an orange cat licking his paw in front of her. Plus, with its slightly sweet taste, pets will lick the floor or other surfaces. He licked it off, rather like a cat licking his paw clean. He watched it drizzle down his finger then slowly licked it off. As well, neatness was taken into consideration and contestants had to lick their plates clean to advance. He now always licks the lenses clean with his tongue before wiping them on a cloth. I sucked more of it from my finger, until it was licked, clean. He paused, then licked the paw thoughtfully; the shields around the males vanished. I opened my eyes to see big tan puppy was licking me. Synonyms tongue, wet, moisten, wash, clean 1.1no object, with adverbial of direction (of a flame, wave, or breeze) move lightly and quickly like a tongue. the flames licked around the wood Example sentencesExamples He looked up, horror in his straining eyes as the fire licked greedily along the edges of his parachute. His models have been drenched by a downpour, licked by flames, paint-sprayed by robots and flown on invisible wires high above a pool of lethal spikes. He dropped the fireball, the ground erupting in a fierce inferno, brutal flames licking at the surrounding trees with their fiery tongues. Flames were already licking up the smashed windscreen and into the car. Ceramic coals don't make a proper noise, for a start, and don't fall apart as the flames lick into them. That house went up in flames in, literally, 15 to 20 seconds after the flames were licking at the door. Flames licked out of the exhaust as the plane lifted off the runway and began the ascent, and as the noise faded into the distance it seemed to get even more intense. With a ‘whoosh’, the dried wood and grasses caught fire, and the flames licked around the pyre. We all watched the fire, the flames licking up towards the sky and the smoke curling high above our heads. When firefighters arrived thick smoke was billowing from the windows of three floors and flames were licking from the ground floor of the building, which is understood to be used as a market hall. He dived right after her, with flames licking his boots as they passed thru the hole. The flames were already licking through the panels with a fierce urgency that was terrifying to see. Eyewitnesses have reported ‘large flames licking up the outside of the building,’ suggesting that such a fire might easily have caused serious injury. He jumped over the fire, flames licking at the soles and bottoms of his hobnailed boots. Within seconds, the classroom was ablaze and flames began licking towards the roof and windows. The little white stick seemed to exhale appreciatively as the fire licked it. The flames licked his face as he covered his face with his forearms and knelt to absorb the shock. Close by, a low fire burned, its flames licking hungrily at embers. Video footage taken inside the club showed flames licking at foam insulation behind the stage, which erupted into a fast-moving fire that sent fans stampeding for the exits. Synonyms flicker, play, flick, flit, dart, ripple, dance 2informal Defeat (someone) comprehensively. all right Mary, I know when I'm licked Example sentencesExamples So you can take the entire project on a disk and a laptop to your villa in Portugal and edit cost-free till you feel you've licked it. After not beating Leicester for 13 years, Gregory thought he had them licked when his side equalised 15 minutes from time. Well, I'm sure with counseling and stuff, you're going to lick this. Okay, I know the Aussies have licked us time and time again. Synonyms overcome, get the better of, solve, find an answer to, find a solution to, conquer, beat, quell, control, govern, master, curb, check, bridle, tame 2.1 Thrash. she stands tall and could lick any man in the place Example sentencesExamples He said that these same parishioners would eventually turn around and lick him with some big stones. If you see him, lick him with a stone or something. I hope that the brevity of this war does not convince Americans that we can lick anybody on the block. Synonyms defeat, beat, best, conquer, trounce, thrash, rout, vanquish, overcome, overwhelm, overpower, destroy, drub, get the better of, triumph over, prevail over, gain a victory over, win against, win over, worst, subdue, quash, crush nounliklɪk 1An act of licking something with the tongue. Sammy gave his fingers a long lick Example sentencesExamples The lion looked away again and gave itself an embarrassed lick. And he simply can't resist giving my muffin a playful lick as soon as my back is turned. It would only take a few snap of his jaws and a few licks of his fingers for the thing to be done and irreversible. For a second the dog hesitated, then as if compelled by a command, Rocky pounced on Kevin trailing his rough tongue all over his master's face in long slurpy licks. She looked up, gave me a little lick, and all was well in my world. Do you know that it takes an average of 50 licks to polish off a single scoop of ice cream cone? Kevin tried to intercede at one point but got his head covered with big wet sloppy tongue licks for his trouble. A small smile broke out across her face as the bunny gave her finger a quick lick, then snorted at her. He toyed with receivers in ways that allowed quarterbacks to think he'd been beaten, only to come back, quicker than a snake lick, and steal the pass. Take three licks / laps and then turn the bowl over on the floor. The mango flavour was sharp and sweet, but desperately rich; after a few licks my tongue started losing the battle. She was giggling, occasionally giving him a kiss, a lick, a nibble. She nudged him with her nose, and gave him a brief lick of her long tongue before turning and trotting away. He does that puppy-tongue lick of his lower lip that someone should tell him to stop doing. He gave his dry lips a quick lick with his tongue and took in a breath. He grinned back, then gave her a lick on the cheek. I extracted slow licks from a single scoop of vanilla. He shuffled closer to her and gave her a soft lick on the cheek. She reached up and gave him a short lick on the cheek. 1.1 A quick movement of flame, water, etc. Example sentencesExamples He imagined the roar and lick and gulp of flames. His eyes were transfixed in a blank stare, not seeming to recognize anything around him, but focused intently upon the licks of flame that jumped and fluttered off of the burning wood beneath the cooking grate. Neither seemed to pay any attention to the licks of flame jetting from the angel's sword. He focused all his energy on that hand, and a small lick of flame sparked to life in his palm. Suddenly, a lick of flame leapt from the tip of the staff. Mary saw the gun pointed straight at her and then saw the small lick of flame that came out of the barrel before actually hearing the shot. To hundreds of varieties of eucalyptus, acacia, wattles, banksia trees, grasses and weeds, the lick of flame is a welcome trigger that kindles life in their seed pods and generates ash to fertilise the soil. My mother was standing at the kitchen window watching a column of thick black smoke rising into the sky, punctuated by the odd lick of flame. The crackle and lick of the flames accompanies the chirping crickets and rustling leaves that surround him. We end with a whispered prayer, a rush of wind, the lick of flames. Michelle smiled at Adam, and Deanna felt a tiny lick of jealousy as he smiled back. On the edge of the horizon, slightly to the southwest, there was a lick of flame. After only a few thousand feet, I was quite pleased to note the phantom licks of ‘flame’ had totally disappeared. I could almost see licks of flame dancing in the highly flammable, potent alcohol. No matter how violent matters got, no matter how high the licks of flame reached, she was always consistent. ‘She swears she saw a lick of flame shoot up from the opening,’ explained Chris. Each small lick of flame lights another blade of grass, quickly spreading until everything is a glowing inferno of destruction. She groaned as that lick of flame deep inside of her flared up again. The barrel flared at the end, frothing out a lick of flame before the second round dispersed. 2informal A light coating or quick application of something, especially paint. all she'd need to do to the kitchen was give it a lick of paint Example sentencesExamples I brought it back to London and it came up a treat after a quick lick of creosote. I said to the players after the game that it had come down to a lick of paint. Your front door might benefit from a lick of paint too. The whole thing doesn't make a lick of sense, but it doesn't matter. The sequel gives the concept a fresh lick of paint without moving it too far forward. Now who do I know who would like to buy a slightly used T-Bird that needed a lick of paint? It's set in the corner of the stairwell, made of cheap and rather hollow-sounding wood, and could do with a lick of paint. A lick of paint around the windowsills and a neatly manicured lawn might impress a prospective buyer. The day we broke up it was like the whole school suddenly got a fresh lick of paint. He doesn't give a lick about you and he'll never look your way again. This is about more than giving the Tories' tarnished image a quick lick of varnish. So maybe the cowboy boots do look kind of spiffy after a few licks of silver, purple, yellow and green. All it needs is a lick of paint and a bit of work on the kitchen. Then, a couple of years ago, it had a lick of paint and a bit of internal surgery and, lo and behold, it changed name and nationality in one go. We prefer big hitters who can't field a lick to gold-glove shortstops with their .243 batting averages. What would it cost for a lick of paint, some artificial flowers and some air fresheners? I didn't care a lick about any of them. According to the batting coach who never could hit a lick, you've got three changes - psychological, physical, and mental. He would have been fine in the movie if the script made a lick of sense. I didn't care a lick about what they were talking about. Synonyms dab, bit, drop, dash, spot, touch, hint, dribble, splash, sprinkle, trickle 2.1US in singular, usually with negative An extremely small amount of something abstract. there's not a lick of suspense in the entire plot Example sentencesExamples And now I look at my kids with their little, you know, video games every day, and they don't speak a lick of Spanish. Sadly, none of them are worth a lick of spite. That doesn't do a lick of good. Does this action make a lick of sense to anybody? He got this job in November without a lick of managerial experience and only three years of service as a major league coach. Since Yuen doesn't speak a lick of English, this feature has a voice over for us English speaking moviegoers. The most inventive shorts are in the animation category, particularly two painstakingly made stop-motion movies with not a lick of dialogue. I don't see a lick of difference, nothing. If they don't it doesn't matter a lick, though, because the music still sounds genuine - no hype required. There can be no doubt that you could run a fairly good marathon and never do a lick of anaerobic training. Don't yet give a lick of info about yourself. Having been in captivity since she was born, her parents never cared a lick about sex education. Also, initially, he was very uncomfortable walking around Sofia by himself, as he doesn't speak a lick of Bulgarian. Back then, we had hundreds of thousands of mainframe computer programs that didn't make a lick of sense to even the smartest programmer trying to read their code. But the fat little guy was a detriment last season, tossing up too many bad shots and not playing a lick of defense. All the talking in the world isn't going to make a lick of difference. And the threat levels are publicly known, so any terrorist with a lick of sense will simply wait until the threat level goes down. This kid has been to the States a few times and still doesn't speak a lick of English. I will select a swaybacked old nag without a lick of spirit. 3often licksinformal A short phrase or solo in jazz or popular music. cool guitar licks Example sentencesExamples He assures the show was ‘really cool’ and that the crowd really seemed to relate to the mainstream mélange of new punk and straight up rock licks. Her ethereal vocals soared over a backdrop of lush guitar licks, deep bass and softly crashing drums during their stunning half-hour set. There's something very personal about the relaxed, just-behind-the-beat way in which the three principals phrase the licks, riffs and melodies that define their sound. It hits the bullseye, with its rumbling bassline and driving, Pete Townsend-lite guitar licks. Each song combines similar elements - hip hop loops, cheesy retro keyboards, sampled jazz licks, and various other found sounds. The opening guitar licks cut through the radio's silence. The sophomore set is a slightly more grown-up and all round musical affair that at times meanders from jazz licks through ambient auras, but is ultimately built on a foundation of '80s electronica. But he's churning out rock riffs and distorted licks, adding in some quite throaty vocals as well. An outstanding guitarist in his own right, Thompson obviously spotted the potential of George's jazz licks within the R & B idiom. Yearning guitar licks, frenetic scratching, and bombastic drums are the order of the day on nearly all of the tracks giving the album both a cohesive and monotonous feel. It's a rather fine blend of catchy chorus, guitar licks and virile vocals. He plays part of a familiar blues lick, but then resolves it in entirely nonstandard fashion. Moving into samba territory, the song shuffles among spicy guitar licks and a bottom-dwelling bassline. It's a darker, slow-moving swirl of bluesy guitar licks in a nebula of electronic debris and feedback drone. The music is an odd mix of very cinematic orchestral pieces, techno, and hot guitar licks. These types of impressive, hyperactive guitar licks cover much of the album. Displaying boundless energy, he hopped up on the DJ booth and scratched for a bit, played a few licks on the guitar, pounded on the keyboard for a bit, then took a turn at the slide guitar and then massacred the drum kit. Several tracks also include chilled vocals, as well as some fiery jazz licks from the clarinetist/sax player. Of course, he's not just a momentary idol that happens to pack a few hot hard-rock licks. It features razor sharp guitar and breezy keyboard licks, but has too many fancy synth sounds. 4informal A smart blow. his mother gave him several licks for daring to blaspheme Example sentencesExamples Now if it is barbaric to flog in school where it really should start, how can licks be of any help to a hard-back criminal? Look like they took a helluva lick, but they ain't dead. Nearly as important as glass and magnification is a device's ability to take a few licks. Michael got a few licks in while he could. Many believed that you should have taken your licks and accepted the situation. Synonyms knock, bang, hit, punch, thump, smack, crack, thwack, buffet, jolt, stroke, rap, tap, clip Phrases at a lick informal At a fast pace; with considerable speed. Example sentencesExamples It's fine when you're moving at a lick but it's devoid of feel at low speed. Despite his absence the parliament is going up at a lick and looking more awesome by the day. Online recruitment revenues are growing at a lick - 43 per cent year on year for the first three quarters of 2003-and are expected to grow to £200m by 2008. Soaring sales of secure routers helped the enterprise router market grow at a lick in Q1. Taken at a lick, the most famous of the plays, The Playboy of the Western World, is a triumph. Synonyms speed, rate, pace, tempo, velocity, momentum a lick and a promise informal A hasty performance of a task, especially of cleaning something. Example sentencesExamples Look at the way you skip from chore to chore, always doing everything with a lick and a promise. The global fiat currency is based on nothing more than a lick and a promise and long-term it's headed toward complete restructuring. Is one's spiritual life really satisfied with a lick and a promise? Wobbling into the bathroom, she picked up her toothbrush and gave her teeth a lick and a promise. The chow's coat requires more than a lick and a promise from the chow's owner. Generally, players sign balls with a lick and a promise. lick someone's boots Be excessively obsequious toward someone. Synonyms be obsequious to, be sycophantic to, be servile to, curry favour with, pay court to, play up to, crawl to, creep to, ingratiate oneself with, dance attendance on, fall over oneself for, kowtow to, toady to, truckle to, bow and scrape before, grovel before, cringe before, abase oneself before lick one's lips (or chops) Look forward to something with eager anticipation. Example sentencesExamples But please, let's not have the army of advisers pulling on their selling boots and licking their chops at the prospect of Christmas in the Bahamas on the back of the fat commissions about to come their way. The ink isn't even dry on their most recent deficit-busting tax cut, and they're already licking their chops over their next one. Many who live here preach bitterly of its negative impacts, while developers lick their chops in anticipation of windfall profits. Some smart attorney could easily identify at least ten possible criminal acts in those two slaps, and dad would be licking his chops in anticipation of a generous court award for his son's few moments of discomfort. He one day looked me up and down, licking his chops at me, and all that I could muster up was, ‘Don't look at me like that.’ Republican strategists are licking their chops at the thought of running against this guy. I know I'll be taken to task for this stand, that many parents who are licking their chops in anticipation of getting the $1, 000 would probably want to murder me. But while snow begins to flutter effortlessly from the sky and wreaths begin to pop up on front doors, Canadian children everywhere smile and lick their chops in anticipation. Plus, you'll have every proponent, project manager and contractor in the room licking their chops in anticipation. ‘They don't want to appear to be licking their chops too much,’ observes a New York University business professor. 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 Example sentencesExamples Devastated at being let down by her own body, she has been licking her wounds, taking stock, trying to recover the self-belief that propelled her to victory in the Olympics, the European Championships and two Commonwealth Games. For now, lick your wounds, dry your tears, and regain your strength… and then we will continue the battle. The loser licks his wounds and accepts the verdict. They are seasoned, hardened competitors who usually leave rivals licking their wounds. Rarely can a Cup Final have ended in such dramatic circumstances, and while Longford rejoiced, the Waterford players retired to lick their wounds and to look forward to real life again. There are a significant number of investors still licking their wounds from being over - exposed to equities from the turn of the century. But while many clubs are still licking their wounds - and a few are still in intensive care - the collapse of the deal could be the best thing to have happened to football in years. While America and the Bahamas were celebrating, Britain's athletes were left licking their wounds. Before licking your wounds and going off with your tail between your legs, learn to make fights scratch-free. The objectors retreated to their homes, licking their wounds and gathering their strength for a fight against two other wind farms. not be able to do something a lick informal Be totally incompetent at the specified activity. I couldn't sing a lick lick someone's ass vulgar slang Be excessively obsequious toward someone. Synonyms be obsequious to, be sycophantic to, be servile to, curry favour with, pay court to, play up to, crawl to, creep to, ingratiate oneself with, dance attendance on, fall over oneself for, kowtow to, toady to, truckle to, bow and scrape before, grovel before, cringe before, abase oneself before 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. verb.1 phr.
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