lick
lick — verb
1. to rub something with your tongue, for instance to taste its flavour, clean it,
to rub something with your tongue, for instance to taste its flavour, clean it, or make it damp
The dog licked Aylin's hand as soon as she walked through the kitchen door.
After dinner, Christopher licked every drop of chocolate pudding from his bowl.
lick + noun phrase: licked [substance] from [container]
Leo licked his lips nervously before stepping up to the microphone.
fixed phrase: lick one's lips
The cat sat on the sofa and licked its paw until the fur was wet.
Naoko licked the envelope shut before putting a stamp on the corner.
resultative: lick + object + adjective (shut)
- lick off
- lick from
- lick up
- lick clean
- lick dry
- lick one's lips
- lick one's fingers
Grammar Patterns
lick + noun phrase
Usage Note
Frequently used with particles like off, from, or up to show that something is completely removed by the tongue.
Common Mistakes
2. if flames, waves, or light lick something, they move gently over its surface, to
if flames, waves, or light lick something, they move gently over its surface, touching it lightly and repeatedly
Flames licked the bottom of the wooden door as the fire spread through the room.
Small waves licked the shore gently as the sun began to set behind the hills.
adjective + waves + lick + noun phrase
Imran watched the fire lick at the dry logs in the stone fireplace.
intransitive: lick at + noun phrase
The morning sunlight licked the tops of the hills like a golden paintbrush.
- lick at
- lick against
Grammar Patterns
fire/water + licks + noun phrase
fire/water + licks at + noun phrase
Usage Note
Used in descriptive or literary writing to create a visual image. 'Lick at' is the intransitive form with a preposition. The subject is almost always flames, waves, light, or wind — never a person or animal.
Common Mistakes
3. in informal language, to defeat an opponent thoroughly and with little effort in
in informal language, to defeat an opponent thoroughly and with little effort in a sports match or competition
The home team licked their opponents five to nothing in the final match.
Élise is so good at chess she can lick anyone in the school club.
informal register: modal + lick + anyone
Our school's basketball team licked every team in the tournament last year.
broad scope: lick every [group] in [competition]
Sahil boasted he could lick any runner on the track team easily.
- lick someone at something
- get licked
- lose to
opposite direction of victory
Grammar Patterns
lick + opponent
Usage Note
Common in British and Australian informal speech. Usually describes team sports, races, or games of skill. Avoid in formal writing — use 'defeat', 'beat', or 'trounce' instead.
Common Mistakes
To train or improve someone so they become good at something.
The coach knocked the young team into shape before the tournament.
Can you lick this new employee into shape by next week?
To behave with too much respect toward someone in power to gain their approval.
Maya refused to lick the manager's boots for a promotion.
Why does he always lick his boss's boots during meetings?
To train or improve someone so they become good at something.
The sergeant licked the new recruits into shape within weeks.
Leave the project with me; I'll knock it into shape soon.
lick your lips
idiomTo move your tongue across your lips, often in anticipation of something enjoyable.
The dog licked its lips when it saw the steak.
He licked his lips as he thought about the delicious cake.
lick your wounds
idiomTo spend time recovering after a failure or disappointment.
After losing the election, the candidate went home to lick his wounds.
The team is licking its wounds after the heavy defeat.
lick — noun
1. a sharp hit or blow delivered with a whip, a fist, or another object
a sharp hit or blow delivered with a whip, a fist, or another object
The rider gave the horse a sharp lick with the whip to get it moving.
countable: a + adjective + lick + with [instrument]
Valentina took a hard lick on the jaw but stayed on her feet.
The old trainer believed that a few licks taught the horse discipline.
One good lick with the paddle sent the ball flying across the court.
- a sharp lick
- a hard lick
- take a lick
- give someone a lick
Usage Note
Now less common than 'hit' or 'blow'. Survives mainly in regional speech and in descriptions of whipping or old-style boxing.
2. a short burst of very fast movement, especially in racing, cycling, or other spo
a short burst of very fast movement, especially in racing, cycling, or other sports
The racehorse went down the stretch at a tremendous lick and won by four lengths.
at a + adjective + lick: describes speed
The cyclist came round the corner at full lick and overtook the leading rider.
Apinya shot past the finish at a fair lick, beating her best time.
The car roared down the highway at a rare old lick before the driver slowed.
- at a fair lick
- at a tremendous lick
- at full lick
- at a rare old lick
Usage Note
Almost always used in the phrase 'at a [adjective] lick'. Common in British sports commentary but less familiar to American English speakers.
Common Mistakes
3. a very small amount of a substance, especially a thin layer of paint, glue, or p
a very small amount of a substance, especially a thin layer of paint, glue, or polish applied to a surface
The front door only needs a lick of paint to look good as new.
a lick of + noun: small amount of substance
Henry added a lick of butter to the toast before spreading jam on top.
A quick lick of glue was enough to hold the broken handle in place.
Soraya gave the wooden table a lick of polish, and the surface shone like new.
- a lick of paint
- a lick of polish
- a lick of glue
- a lick of butter
Usage Note
Common in DIY and decorating contexts. 'A lick of paint' is a fixed expression that means a quick repainting job, not just a literal tiny amount.
Common Mistakes
4. a short, catchy pattern of notes that a musician plays as an improvised solo in
a short, catchy pattern of notes that a musician plays as an improvised solo in jazz, blues, or rock music
The guitarist played a beautiful blues lick that made the whole crowd cheer.
countable: a + [genre] + lick
Adina practiced the same jazz lick for two hours until her fingers moved perfectly.
The piano lick in the middle of the song is recognisable to most music fans.
Christopher learned a new rock lick from a lesson and used it in his solo.
- guitar lick
- blues lick
- jazz lick
- piano lick
- play a lick
- learn a lick
Usage Note
Distinct from 'riff' — a lick is shorter and typically played once, while a riff is a repeated phrase that forms the basis of a song. In jazz, a lick is a building block for improvisation.
Common Mistakes
5. an act of moving the tongue over the surface of something, especially as a quick
an act of moving the tongue over the surface of something, especially as a quick or gentle action
The kitten gave the spilled milk a quick lick with her tiny pink tongue.
countable: give + indirect object + a + adjective + lick
Folake took a small lick of her ice cream to check the flavour.
The dog gave its owner's hand a friendly lick before running off to the park.
One lick of the lemon told Soraya the fruit was too sour for her taste.
- give something a lick
- take a lick of
- a quick lick
- a gentle lick
Usage Note
Often used in the pattern 'give/take + a + [adjective] + lick' to describe a single, quick tongue action. Distinguish from the verb form: 'give something a lick' = one quick action; 'lick something' = a more sustained action.
6. a block of salt or an area of salty ground where farm animals and wild animals g
a block of salt or an area of salty ground where farm animals and wild animals go to lick in order to get minerals
The farmer placed a salt lick in the meadow so the cows could get minerals.
countable: a salt lick + location for animals
Deer visit the salt lick near the river to get nutrients from the soil.
Sheep farmers put salt licks near the water trough for their animals during the summer.
The salt lick in the pasture was worn smooth by years of use from cattle.
- salt lick
- place a salt lick
- visit a salt lick
- mineral block
a man-made block of compressed minerals, not just salt
Usage Note
Can also be written as one word 'saltlick'. In agriculture, the salt may be mixed with other minerals. The term 'salt lick' is also used for man-made blocks, not just natural deposits.
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
Lick is the general word for passing the tongue over something — people lick ice cream, cats lick their paws, and dogs lick hands. Lap is used only for animals, especially when they drink liquid by scooping it up with quick tongue movements: a cat laps milk from a bowl, but a person does not. Tongue as a verb has a much narrower use in music (tonguing a note on a flute) or in anatomy contexts; it is never a synonym for the everyday action of licking. For example: 'The dog licked the plate clean' (natural), but 'The dog lapped the plate clean' (wrong — lapping is for liquids).
Common collocations
Etymology
Lick comes from Old English liccian, which is related to similar words in other Germanic languages such as Old High German leckōn and Old Norse sleikja. These all trace back to an ancient Indo-European root *leigh- meaning 'to lick', which also gave rise to Latin lingere (to lick) and Greek leichein (to lick). The word has kept the same basic meaning for well over a thousand years.