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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
- 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
- beat
- best
- bit
- blaze
- brush
- burn
- calm
- caress
- cast
- clobber
- conquer
- dab
- dart
- dash
- down
- excel
- flick
- flicker
- flog
- fluctuate
- flutter
- fondle
- glance
- gloss
- graze
- hint
- hit
- hurdle
- ignite
- kindle
- lambaste
- lap
- lap against
- leap
- master
- move over
- osculate
- outdo
- outstrip
- overcome
- overwhelm
- palpitate
- pass over
- play
- quiet
- quiver
- ripple
- rout
- rub
- run over
- sample
- shoot
- slap
- smack
- smear
- smother
- soothe
- spank
- speck
- strike
- stroke
- suggestion
- surmount
- surpass
- sweep
- taste
- thrash
- throw
- tinge
- tongue
- top
- touch
- trace
- tremble
- trim
- trounce
- vacillate
- vanquish
- vibrate
- wallop
- wash
- waver
- whiff
- whip
Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019