lickverb
uk/lɪk/us/lɪk/lick verb (MOVE TONGUE)
B2 [ T ] to move the tongue across the surface of something:
[ T, I + prep ] If flames or waves lick something, they pass over it quickly or touch it lightly like a tongue:
More examples
- Lick the envelope and seal it.
- They licked their lollies.
- We ate the cakes and licked our fingers.
- They licked water from the window panes.
- The cat licked its kittens clean.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Biting, chewing & swallowing
- bite
- champ
- chew
- chomp
- crunch
- dunk
- gnaw
- masticate
- mastication
- munch
- nibble
- peck
- peck at sth
- rumination
- suck
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
lick verb (DEFEAT)
[ T ] informal to defeat easily in a competition, fight, etc.:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Winning and defeating
- annihilate
- bank
- be one in the eye for sb idiom
- beat sb at their own game idiom
- beat sb hollow idiom
- convincing
- outmanoeuvre
- outpace
- outperform
- outscore
- overpower
- pip
- sew
- sweep
- trouncing
- trump
- unassailable
- unbeaten
- undefeated
- wipe
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Idiom(s)
licknoun
uk/lɪk/us/lɪk/lick noun (HIT)
[ C ] old-fashioned informal the act of hitting someone with something such as a whip
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Hitting and beating
- a bunch of fives idiom
- a rap on/over the knuckles idiom
- at-risk
- bang up sb/sth
- bashing
- bunch
- conk
- deck
- hell
- kick
- knock
- knock sb's block off idiom
- lay
- lay sb out
- licking
- mess sb up
- pound
- pummel
- swing
- thump
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lick noun (SPEED)
at a fast speed:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Fast and rapid
- a mile a minute idiom
- apace
- as fast as your legs would carry you idiom
- as if it is going out of style idiom
- at a rate of knots idiom
- fleet
- have a heavy foot idiom
- high-speed
- hotfoot
- in the twinkling of an eye idiom
- Jack Robinson
- lickety-split
- lightning
- mile
- prompt
- rapid-fire
- smartly
- souped-up
- spread like wildfire idiom
- swift
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lick noun (SMALL AMOUNT)
[ C ] informal a small amount or thin layer:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Words meaning small pieces and amounts
- by a nose idiom
- chip
- clipping
- crumb
- dollop
- droplet
- flake
- germ
- jot
- nose
- pat
- patch
- pennyworth
- pinprick
- ray
- scattering
- scintilla
- shard
- shred
- trace
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lick noun (MUSIC)
[ C ] specialized music in jazz or rock music, a short series of notes played by one musician
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Musical pieces
- arrangement
- bolero
- bossa nova
- Britannia
- cantata
- chorus
- fantasia
- melody
- nocturne
- octet
- opus
- passage
- playlist
- reel
- sextet
- signature tune
- solo
- song form
- string quartet
- trio
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lick noun (TONGUE)
[ C ] the action of licking something:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Biting, chewing & swallowing
- bite
- champ
- chew
- chomp
- crunch
- dunk
- gnaw
- masticate
- mastication
- munch
- nibble
- peck
- peck at sth
- rumination
- suck