LICK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does lick mean? 

• LICK (noun)
  The noun LICK has 3 senses:

1. a salt deposit that animals regularly lick

2. touching with the tongue

3. (boxing) a blow with the fist

  Familiarity information: LICK used as a noun is uncommon.

• LICK (verb)
  The verb LICK has 4 senses:

1. beat thoroughly and conclusively in a competition or fight

2. pass the tongue over

3. find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of

4. take up with the tongue

  Familiarity information: LICK used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LICK (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A salt deposit that animals regularly lick

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Synonyms:

lick; salt lick

Hypernyms ("lick" is a kind of...):

deposit; sediment (matter that has been deposited by some natural process)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Touching with the tongue

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

lap; lick

Context example:

the dog's laps were warm and wet

Hypernyms ("lick" is a kind of...):

touch; touching (the act of putting two things together with no space between them)

Derivation:

lick (pass the tongue over)

Sense 3

Meaning:

(boxing) a blow with the fist

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

biff; clout; lick; poke; punch; slug

Context example:

I gave him a clout on his nose

Hypernyms ("lick" is a kind of...):

blow (a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon)

Domain category:

boxing; fisticuffs; pugilism (fighting with the fists)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "lick"):

counter; counterpunch; parry (a return punch (especially by a boxer))

haymaker; knockout punch; KO punch; Sunday punch (a hard punch that renders the opponent unable to continue boxing)

hook (a short swinging punch delivered from the side with the elbow bent)

jab (a quick short straight punch)

rabbit punch (a short chopping blow to the back of the neck)

sucker punch (an unexpected punch)

• LICK (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they lick    ... he / she / it licks   
Past simple: licked   
Past participle: licked   
-ing form: licking   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Beat thoroughly and conclusively in a competition or fight

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

bat; clobber; cream; drub; lick; thrash

Context example:

We licked the other team on Sunday!

Hypernyms (to "lick" is one way to...):

beat; beat out; crush; shell; trounce; vanquish (come out better in a competition, race, or conflict)

Verb group:

flail; lam; thrash; thresh (give a thrashing to; beat hard)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The fighter managed to lick his opponent

Sense 2

Meaning:

Pass the tongue over

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

lap; lick

Context example:

the dog licked her hand

Hypernyms (to "lick" is one way to...):

stroke (touch lightly and repeatedly, as with brushing motions)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "lick"):

tongue (lick or explore with the tongue)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

lick (touching with the tongue)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

figure out; lick; puzzle out; solve; work; work out

Context example:

He could not work the math problem

Hypernyms (to "lick" is one way to...):

understand (know and comprehend the nature or meaning of)

"Lick" entails doing...:

reason (think logically)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "lick"):

answer; resolve (understand the meaning of)

riddle (explain a riddle)

strike (arrive at after reckoning, deliberating, and weighing)

guess; infer (guess correctly; solve by guessing)

answer (give the correct answer or solution to)

break (find the solution or key to)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Take up with the tongue

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Synonyms:

lap; lap up; lick

Context example:

the cub licked the milk from its mother's breast

Hypernyms (to "lick" is one way to...):

drink; imbibe (take in liquids)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

 Context examples 

When the latter shook hands with Walt, Wolf repeated his act, resting his weight on Walt and licking both men's hands.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

“Yes, I am not very well,” answered the other, making obvious efforts to pull himself together, and licking his dry lips before he spoke.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"I'll lick you to-morrow," he heard Cheese-Face promise; and he heard his own voice, piping and trembling with unshed tears, agreeing to be there on the morrow.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

When they did feel my hands on them, they whinnied low as in joy, and licked at my hands and were quiet for a time.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

He sniffed it curiously, then licked some up on his tongue.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

"A man's half licked when he says he is. An' you're half eaten from the way you're goin' on about it."

(White Fang, by Jack London)

It is transmitted to humans from a scratch, bite, or lick from a cat.

(Cat-Scratch Disease, NCI Thesaurus)

“I wish I had had a lick at them with the gun first,” he replied.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

See now, how the flames lick up the walls!

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The cat’s mouth soon began to water for some more licking.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)