Word Direct Answers

What does "lick" mean?

Lick: To lap; to take in with the tongue; as, a dog or cat licks milk. Shak. To lick the dust, to be slain; to fall in battle. "His enemies shall lick the dust." Ps. lxxii.

Additional senses

  1. 2.-- To lick into shape, to give proper form to; -- from a notion that the bear's cubs are born shapeless and subsequently formed by licking. Hudibras. -- To lick the spittle of, to fawn upon. South. -- To lick up, to take all of by licking; to devour; to consume entirely. Shak. Num. xxii.
  2. 3.1. A stroke of the tongue in licking. "A lick at the honey pot." Dryden.
  3. 4.A quick and careless application of anything, as if by a stroke of the tongue, or of something which acts like a tongue; as, to put on colors with a lick of the brush. Also, a small quantity of any substance so applied. [Colloq.] A lick of court white wash. Gray.
  4. 5.A place where salt is found on the surface of the earth, to which wild animals resort to lick it up; -- often, but not always, near salt springs. [U. S.]
  5. 6.To strike with repeated blows for punishment; to flog; to whip or conquer, as in a pugilistic encounter. [Colloq. or Low] Carlyle. Thackeray.
  6. 7.A slap; a quick stroke.[Colloq.] "A lick across the face." Dryden.

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