lick
lick Lexical Profile
lick Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An act of passing the tongue over something in order to taste, moisten, or clean it.
"The puppy gave her hand an affectionate lick as soon as she walked through the door."
A very small amount, degree, or application of something (used informally, often in negative contexts).
"His explanation did not make a lick of sense to the committee."
A short, recognizable solo phrase or improvised musical pattern played on an instrument, especially in jazz, blues, or rock music.
"The guitarist practiced a complex blues lick before the evening concert."
An exposed natural deposit or artificial block of salt or other minerals that animals regularly visit to lick for essential nutrients.
"The wildlife photographer set up a camera near the natural mineral lick to observe the deer."
• verb
To pass the tongue over a surface, object, or food in order to taste, moisten, or clean it.
"She had to lick the envelope to seal it before dropping it in the mailbox."
To move lightly and flicker over or touch something in a manner resembling a tongue (especially of flames or waves).
"Bright orange flames began to lick the dry branches in the campfire."
To defeat decisively or overcome a difficult problem or opponent (used informally).
"After weeks of troubleshooting, the engineering team finally managed to lick the software glitch."
• Rhymes for lick
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Old English 'liccian', from Proto-Germanic '*likkona', ultimately tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root '*leigh-' meaning 'to lick', which is also the source of Latin 'lingere' and Greek 'leikhein'.