DEFINITIONS

lickety-split

[ lik-i-tee-split ]
/ ˈlɪk ɪ tiˈsplɪt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR lickety-split ON THESAURUS.COM

adverb Informal.

at great speed; rapidly: to travel lickety-split.

Content related to lickety-split

What Are Split Infinitives?Sometimes infinitives need a little space. A split infinitive occurs when there’s an adverb between two parts of an infinitive. An infinitive consists of the word to and the simple form of a verb (e.g. to go and to read). “To suddenly go” and “to quickly read” are examples of split infinitives because the adverbs (suddenly and quickly) split (or break up) the infinitives to …
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What Are Infinitives?An infinitive is the most basic form of a verb. You’ll usually see it with the word to, as in to eat or to think. An infinitive phrase is an infinitive plus complements and modifiers. To eat vegetables daily and to think about a solution are infinitive phrases. While infinitives themselves are verbs, infinitive phrases can be used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Adverbial Infinitives …
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Words related to lickety-split

fast, jiffy, quickly, rapidly, speed, swiftly

Words nearby lickety-split

lick someone's boots, lick the stuffing out of, lick-alike, licker-in, lickerish, lickety-split, licking, licking river, lickspittle, licorice, licorice stick

Origin of lickety-split

1835–45, Americanism; perhaps dial. licket rag (for wiping in haste, with one lick) + -y1 + split, as in split second
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lickety-split

British Dictionary definitions for lickety-split

lickety-split
/ (ˈlɪkɪtɪˈsplɪt) /

adverb

US and Canadian informal very quickly; speedily

Word Origin for lickety-split

C19: from lick + split
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