lick
[verb]
Synonyms:
- taste, lap, tongue
- flicker, dart, flick, play over, ripple, touch
- beat, defeat, master, outdo, outstrip, overcome, rout, trounce, vanquish
[noun]
Synonyms:
- dab, bit, stroke, touch
- pace, clip (informal), rate, speed

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. lick¹ S3 /lɪk/ verb
[Language: Old English; Origin: liccian]

1. TONGUE [transitive] to move your tongue across the surface of something in order to eat it, wet it, clean it etc:
The dog jumped up and licked her face.
lick something ↔ up
A cat licked up the drops spilt on the floor.
lick something off something
He licked the drops off his upper lip.

2. SPORT [transitive] informal to defeat an opponent:
I bet we could lick the best teams in Georgia.

3. FLAMES/WAVES [intransitive and transitive] literary if flames or waves lick something, they touch it again and again with quick movements
lick at/against
Soon the flames were licking at the curtains.

4. have (got) something licked informal to have succeeded in dealing with a difficult problem:
Just when you think you’ve got it licked, it comes back.

5. lick your lips (also lick your chops American English) to feel eager and excited because you are expecting to get something good:
Scottish rugby fans are licking their lips in anticipation.

6. lick your wounds to quietly think about the defeat or disappointment you have just suffered

7. lick sb’s boots to obey someone completely because you are afraid of them or want to please them
⇒ knock/lick somebody/something into shape at shape¹(3)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. lick² noun

1. [countable usually singular] when you move your tongue across the surface of something:
Can I have a lick of your ice cream?

2. a lick of paint/colour etc a small amount of paint etc put onto the surface of something to improve its appearance:
It’ll be okay after a lick of paint.

3. not a lick of something American English old-fashioned not even a small amount of something:
Ann won’t do a lick of work around the house.

4. [countable] informal part of a song played on a guitar:
a bluesy guitar lick

5. at a great/fair lick British English informal very fast

6. give something a lick and a promise
a) British English to wash or clean something quickly and carelessly
b) American English to do a job quickly and carelessly

7. [countable] informal an act of hitting someone

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲