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Antonyms for lick


Grammar : Noun, verb
Spell : lik
Phonetic Transcription : lɪk



Definition of lick

Origin :
  • Old English liccian "to pass the tongue over the surface, lap, lick up," from Proto-Germanic *likkon (cf. Old Saxon likkon, Dutch likken, Old High German lecchon, German lecken, Gothic bi-laigon), from PIE imitative base *leigh- (cf. Sanskrit ledhi "he licks," Armenian lizum "I lick," Greek leikhein "to lick," Latin lingere "to lick," Old Irish ligim "I lick," Welsh llwy "spoon"). French lécher is a Germanic loan word.
  • To lick (someone or something) into shape (1610s) is in reference to the supposed ways of bears:
  • Beres ben brought forthe al fowle and transformyd and after that by lyckyng of the fader and the moder they ben brought in to theyr kyndely shap. ["The Pylgremage of the Sowle," 1413]
  • noun light touch; little amount
  • verb touch with tongue
  • verb play over with fire
  • verb defeat, sometimes by hitting
Example sentences :
  • He knew Jim couldn't swim a lick, so he thought he'd have Jim go drown.
  • Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
  • So Uncle Peter had to lick her father and two brothers before he could get her away.
  • Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
  • I had been used to see the men about me lick the dust at my feet, for it was gold dust.
  • Extract from : « Tales And Novels, Volume 3 (of 10) » by Maria Edgeworth
  • Then he burst out, "I'd lick both of you, if I was sure this was a where or when to foight!"
  • Extract from : « The Widow O'Callaghan's Boys » by Gulielma Zollinger
  • The younger leader turned his head to lick a wound on his shoulder.
  • Extract from : « White Fang » by Jack London
  • Nor, until well out of sight, did he stop to lick his bleeding wounds.
  • Extract from : « White Fang » by Jack London
  • I feel certain that two of us could face this thing and lick it.
  • Extract from : « The Issahar Artifacts » by Jesse Franklin Bone
  • It became so stifling that Augustine ran out of spit and was forced to lick her lips.
  • Extract from : « L'Assommoir » by Emile Zola
  • The whitest meat is not the most juicy, having been made so by frequent bleeding, and giving the calf some whiting to lick.
  • Extract from : « The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches, » by Mary Eaton
  • Well, now, I hadn't any idea you could lick that Tommy Kelly!
  • Extract from : « The Universal Reciter » by Various

Synonyms for lick

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019