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licking

[ lik-ing ]
/ ˈlɪk ɪŋ /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR licking

noun

Informal.
  1. a beating or thrashing.
  2. a reversal or disappointment; defeat or setback.
the act of a person or thing that licks.

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Origin of licking

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at lick, -ing1

OTHER WORDS FROM licking

non·lick·ing, adjective

Words nearby licking

lick, lick-alike, licker-in, lickerish, lickety-split, licking, Licking River, lick into shape, Lick Observatory, lick one's chops, lick one's wounds
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to licking

whipping, lashing, drubbing, thrashing, annihilation, bashing, flogging, defeat, repulse, conquest, setback, check, trashing, blow, ruin, ambush, overthrow, beating, trimming, breakdown

Example sentences from the Web for licking

British Dictionary definitions for licking

licking
/ (ˈlɪkɪŋ) /

noun informal

a beating
a defeat
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