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bootlick

[ boot-lik ]
/ ˈbutˌlɪk /
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See synonyms for: bootlick / bootlicking / bootlicker on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object)
to seek the favor or goodwill of in a servile, degraded way; toady to.
verb (used without object)
to be a toady.
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Origin of bootlick

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; boot1 + lick

OTHER WORDS FROM bootlick

boot·lick·er, noun

Words nearby bootlick

bootleg, bootlegged, bootlegger, bootleg play, bootless, bootlick, bootlicker, bootloader, boot money, boot out, boots
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to bootlick

fawn, grovel, toady, brown-nose

How to use bootlick in a sentence

  • You have to be a bit of a bootlick, and people will give you tips, which is against all scout rules.

    Boy Scouts in Glacier Park|Walter Prichard Eaton

British Dictionary definitions for bootlick

bootlick
/ (ˈbuːtˌlɪk) /
verb
informal to seek favour by servile or ingratiating behaviour towards (someone, esp someone in authority); toady

Derived forms of bootlick

bootlicker, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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