licked; licking; licks
1
a(1)
: to draw the tongue over
(2)
: to flicker over like a tongue
b
: to take into the mouth with the tongue : lap
1
2
3
a
: a natural salt deposit (such as a salt spring) that animals lick
b
: a block of often medicated saline preparation given to livestock to lick
4
: a musical figure
specifically
: an interpolated and usually improvised figure or flourish
Synonyms
Verb
- bash
- baste
- bat
- batter
- beat
- belabor
- belt
- birch
- bludgeon
- buffet
- bung up
- club
- curry
- do
- drub
- fib [British]
- flog
- hammer
- hide
- lace
- lambaste
- lambast
- lash
- lather
- maul
- mess (up)
- paddle
- pelt
- pommel
- pound
- pummel
- punch out
- rough (up)
- slate
- slog
- switch
- tan
- thrash
- thresh
- thump
- tromp
- wallop
- whale
- whip
- whop
- whap
- whup
- work over
Noun
- bang
- bash
- bat
- beat
- belt
- biff
- blow
- bop
- box
- buffet
- bust
- chop
- clap
- clip
- clout
- crack
- cuff
- dab
- douse [British]
- fillip
- hack
- haymaker
- hit
- hook
- knock
- larrup [dialect]
- lash
- pelt
- pick
- plump
- poke
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- slug
- smack
- smash
- sock
- spank
- stinger
- stripe
- stroke
- swat
- swipe
- switch
- thud
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
Examples of lick in a Sentence
Verb
He licked the stamp before putting it on the envelope.
The dog licked at the plate.
She licked the sauce off her finger.
The cat licked the milk off her paws.
Flames were already licking the ceiling.
Flames were already licking at the ceiling.
Noun
Could I have a lick of your ice cream?
It just needs a lick of paint.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lily Burana, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
In the series premiere, Rio licked Agatha’s hand in a sapphic (and slightly blood-play oriented) moment of intimacy, and the two also had an almost-kiss at the end of episode four.
—Quispe López, Them, 31 Oct. 2024
Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2024
Because McMillan’s also one of the few collegiate wideouts who’s ever given Hunter a lick of trouble.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lick 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Nomi Malone licking the stripper pole in Showgirls?
—Lily Burana, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
In the series premiere, Rio licked Agatha’s hand in a sapphic (and slightly blood-play oriented) moment of intimacy, and the two also had an almost-kiss at the end of episode four.
—Quispe López, Them, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
This tribute to the ill-fitting celebrity guest spots on sitcoms of yore rises to incredible heights of lunacy and requires not a lick of prior knowledge about Little Richard to pull laughs from viewers.
—Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2024
Because McMillan’s also one of the few collegiate wideouts who’s ever given Hunter a lick of trouble.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lick
Dictionary Entries Near lick
Cite this Entry
“Lick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lick. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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