licking
Americannoun
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Informal.
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a beating or thrashing.
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a reversal or disappointment; defeat or setback.
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the act of a person or thing that licks.
noun
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a beating
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a defeat
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of licking
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at lick, -ing 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
Barca were still licking their wounds after a heavy 4-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey first-leg semi-final last week, and this defeat made things even worse.
From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026
De Angelis and Waltz are also a hoot together, she as a heaving, hissing vampire bride who can’t stop licking her chops, he as a bone-dry vampire hunter dedicated to his investigation.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026
Nhamo contented herself with licking a few grains from her fingers.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
