salt lick

American  

noun

1. a place to which animals go to lick naturally occurring salt deposits.

2. a block of salt or salt preparation provided, as in a pasture, for cattle, horses, etc.

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salt lick British  

noun

1. a place where wild animals go to lick naturally occurring salt deposits

2. a block of salt or a salt preparation given to domestic or farm animals to lick

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Etymology

Origin of salt lick

An Americanism dating back to 1735–45

Example Sentences

When I was a kid, my family put out a salt lick to attract deer.

From Washington Post

The report recommended the “urgent and immediate” supply of water and salt licks — a source of minerals — in the ecosystems affected by the drought.

From Washington Post

Thousands of years before its use by bipeds, the path was tamped down by what historians believe to be bison headed to the salt licks around Nashville.

From New York Times

The sure-footed climber has been observed hoofing up to 18 miles to get to a salt lick.

From Washington Post

Managers could consider adding artificial salt licks to places that lack them, for example, or exterminating goats in areas where they were introduced.

From Scientific American