lick

American  

[lik] / lɪk /

verb (used with object)

• licks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• licked,
  past participle,  past
• licking
  present participle

1. to pass the tongue over the surface of, as to moisten, taste, or eat (often followed by up, off, from, etc.).

   to lick a postage stamp; to lick an ice-cream cone.

2. to make, or cause to become, by stroking with the tongue.

   to lick a spoon clean.

3. (of waves, flames, etc.) to pass or play lightly over.

   The flame licked the dry timber.

4. Informal.

   1. to hit or beat, especially as a punishment; thrash; whip.

   2. to overcome or defeat, as in a fight, game, or contest.

   3. to outdo or surpass.

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verb (used without object)

• licks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• licked,
  past participle,  past
• licking
  present participle

1. to move quickly or lightly.

noun

• licks
  plural

1. a stroke of the tongue over something.

2. as much as can be taken up by one stroke of the tongue.

3. salt lick.

4. Informal.

   1. a blow.

   2. a brief, brisk burst of activity or energy.

   3. a quick pace or clip; speed.

   4. a small amount.

      I haven't done a lick of work all week.

5. Usually licks. a critical or complaining remark.

6. Jazz Slang. Usually licks. a musical phrase, as by a soloist in improvising.

verb phrase

1. lick up to lap up; devour greedily.

idioms

1. lick into shape, to bring to completion or perfection through discipline, hard work, etc..

   They needed another rehearsal to lick the production into shape.

2. lick one's chops. chop.

3. lick ass, kiss.

4. lick and a promise, a hasty and perfunctory performance in doing something.

   I didn't have time to clean thoroughly, so I gave the room a lick and a promise.

5. last licks, a final turn or opportunity.

   We got in our last licks on the tennis court before the vacation ended.

6. lick the dust. dust.

7. lick one's wounds. wound.

lick British  

/ lɪk /

verb

1. (tr) to pass the tongue over, esp in order to taste or consume

2. to flicker or move lightly over or round (something)

   the flames licked around the door

3. informal (tr)

   1. to defeat or vanquish

   2. to flog or thrash

   3. to be or do much better than

4. to put into a satisfactory condition: from the former belief that bear cubs were born formless and had to be licked into shape by their mother

5. to anticipate or recall something with glee or relish

6. to retire after a defeat or setback in order to husband one's resources

7. See boot 1

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noun

1. an instance of passing the tongue over something

2. a small amount

   a lick of paint

3. Also called: salt lick.  a block of compressed salt or chemical matter provided for domestic animals to lick for medicinal and nutritional purposes

4. a place to which animals go to lick exposed natural deposits of salt

5. informal a hit; blow

6. slang a short musical phrase, usually on one instrument

7. informal speed; rate of movement

   he was going at quite a lick when he hit it

8. something hastily done, esp a hurried wash

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• licker
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• licks
  plural

Participles

• licking
  present
• licked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• lick
  simple
• licks
  simple
• have licked
  perfect
• has licked
  perfect
• am licking
  progressive
• are licking
  progressive
• is licking
  progressive
• have been licking
  perfect progressive
• has been licking
  perfect progressive

Past

• licked
  simple
• had licked
  perfect
• was licking
  progressive
• were licking
  progressive
• had been licking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will lick
  simple
• will have licked
  perfect
• will be licking
  progressive
• will have been licking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of lick

before 1000; Middle English; Old English liccian, cognate with Old Saxon liccōn, Old High German leckōn; akin to Go bilaigon, Latin lingere, Greek leíchein to lick (up)

Explanation

To lick is to taste or touch with the tongue. When your dog licks you, he's saying hello. Humans should opt for waving hello over licking. Animal mothers lick their babies to clean them, and adult cats also groom themselves this way. People generally lick things to taste them: you might lick an ice cream cone or a lollipop, or lick salt off your arm after a day at the beach. Colloquially, to lick an opponent is to beat them at a game or fight. In jazz music, a lick is a short burst of music, or a solo.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lick licks licked licking

Other houses were given a free lick of paint to spruce them up ahead of the arrival of the heads of state of 32 nations, including US President Donald Trump, the Sozcu newspaper reported.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

In making “Never Be the Same,” Thompson wanted to allow room for the “devastating moment,” a point in a song where something unexpected can happen, “that one lick where you just melt.”

From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026

Against a bracingly lo-fi guitar lick played by his pal Mk.gee,

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026

Already, the club’s lush greenery looks like it could use a lick of paint.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 11, 2026

The city pulled back to lick its wounds.

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield

The more dramatic opening with stealthy guitar licks sets up Mr. Frampton’s superb rock solos and talk box and Mr. Mayo’s jazzy interlude on electric piano.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026

It was the licks and how fast he was playing, the technical thing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2025

To figure out which rope to go through, to strap up, to go in and know that you are going to have to take a hit, you're going to have to take licks.

From Salon ● Dec. 25, 2024

Diligent insect medics, with brains barely as big as the punctuation in size-8 font, were spotted carefully assessing the injuries of nestmates with a few gentle licks before operating with razor-sharp jaws.

From Slate ● Jul. 18, 2024

White steam now belches forth, blending with the black smoke as the fire licks its wounds.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Maximilien licked the straw from an iJooz machine in Goldhill Centre on 12 March, in one of the city-state's more affluent neighbourhoods, after a boxing workout, Channel News Asia reported.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

Ending work with his label and group, the rapper left for Europe where he made wine, licked his wounds and worked on music in isolation.

From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026

Capybaras’ internet fame traces back at least to 2007, when Caplin Rous, a 6-week-old capybara, licked a camera.

From Slate ● May 27, 2026

The pumpkin rice and peas, seasoned with thyme, from Dominica was a good complement to the Trinidadian curry shrimp, whose pot was licked clean.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

The pine twigs and straw burst into flames that licked the dry, weathered boards.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

And it isn’t just SpaceX, but also Anthropic and OpenAI and the unceasing chatter and licking of chops over the mind-bending explosion of intergenerational wealth anticipated by their pending IPOs, that gives me pause.

From Barron's ● May 29, 2026

She was laser-focused on licking organic peanut butter off a mat, a treat reserved for her biweekly acupuncture sessions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026

But instead of attacking, the smaller ants climb onto the bigger ones and begin licking and nibbling across their bodies.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 14, 2026

"She took to them straight away and was licking them and just absolutely adored them," he said.

From BBC ● Feb. 11, 2026

He loved tasting snow cakes, and he loved licking icicle pops.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

Related Words

• caress
• fondle
• graze
• rub
• soothe
• wash