lick

1 verb

1 TONGUE (T) to move your tongue across the surface of something in order to eat it, clean it etc: The dog jumped up and licked her face.

2 SPORT (T) informal to defeat an opponent: I reckon we could lick the best teams in Georgia.

3 FLAMES/WAVES (I, T) literary if flames or waves lick something, they touch it again and again with quick movements

(+ at/against): Soon the flames were licking at the curtains.

4 have (got) sth licked informal to have succeeded in dealing with a difficult problem

5 lick your lips to feel eager and excited because you are expecting to get something good

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 fear them or want to please them

-see also: bootlicking, knock/lick sth into shape shape 1 (7) lick sth up phrasal verb (T) to drink or eat something by licking it 2 noun

1 (countable usually singular) an act of licking something with your tongue: 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

3 give sth a lick and a promise

a) BrE to wash or clean something quickly and carelessly

b) AmE to do a job quickly and carelessly

4 at a great lick/at a hell of a lick informal especially BrE very fast

5 (C) informal an act of hitting someone