lick

lick¹ S3 [lık] v

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1¦(tongue)¦

2¦(sport)¦

3¦(flames/waves)¦

4 have (got) something licked

5 lick your lips

6 lick your wounds

7 lick somebody's boots

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[: Old English; Origin: liccian]

1.) ¦(TONGUE)¦ [T]

to move your tongue across the surface of something in order to eat it, wet it, clean it etc

▪ The dog jumped up and licked her face.

lick sth<=>up

▪ A cat licked up the drops spilt on the floor.

lick sth off sth

▪ He licked the drops off his upper lip.

2.) ¦(SPORT)¦ [T] informal

to defeat an opponent

▪ I bet we could lick the best teams in Georgia.

3.) ¦(FLAMES/WAVES)¦ [I and T]

literary if flames or waves lick something, they touch it again and again with quick movements

lick at/against

▪ Soon the flames were licking at the curtains.

4.) have (got) sth licked informal

to have succeeded in dealing with a difficult problem

▪ Just when you think you've got it licked, it comes back.

5.) lick your lips also lick your chops AmE

to feel eager and excited because you are expecting to get something good

▪ Scottish rugby fans are licking their lips in anticipation.

6.) lick your wounds

to quietly think about the defeat or disappointment you have just suffered

7.) lick sb's boots

to obey someone completely because you are afraid of them or want to please them

→knock/lick sb/sth into shape at ↑shape¹ (3)

lick ²

lick² n

1.) [C usually singular]

when you move your tongue across the surface of something

▪ Can I have a lick of your ice cream?

2.) a lick of paint/colour/etc

a small amount of paint etc put onto the surface of something to improve its appearance

▪ It'll be okay after a lick of paint.

3.) not a lick of sth

AmE old-fashioned not even a small amount of something

▪ Ann won't do a lick of work around the house.

4.) informal

part of a song played on a ↑guitar

▪ a bluesy guitar lick

5.) at a great/fair lick

BrE informal very fast

6.) give sth a lick and a promise

a) BrE to wash or clean something quickly and carelessly

b) AmE to do a job quickly and carelessly

7.) informal

an act of hitting someone