flick en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /flɪk/
- (US) audio
Etymology
From Middle English flykke (“light blow or stroke”). Later uses apparently interpreted as a back-formation from flicker. The use of flick to mean a film or movie derives from the fact that early films had a low frame rate, thus causing the film to "flick" rapidly when projected onto a screen.
Meanings
-
A short, quick movement, especially a brush, sweep, or flip.
He removed the speck of dust with a flick of his finger.
On this occasion it was Nolan's deft flick that fooled West Ham's sleepy defenders Danny Gabbidon and Tomkins. The ball found its way to Best, who smashed in with confidence from the edge of the area.
2011 January 5, Saj Chowdhury, “Newcastle 0 - 0 West Ham”, in BBC:She gave a disdainful flick of her hair and marched out of the room.
-
(informal) A motion picture, movie, film; (in plural, usually preceded by "the") movie theater, cinema.
My all-time favorite flick is "Gone with the Wind."
Want to go to the flicks tonight?
- A cut that lands with the point, often involving a whip of the foible of the blade to strike at a concealed target.
-
A powerful underarm volley shot.
The fourth seed was dominating her 20-year-old opponent with a series of stinging groundstrokes and athletic drive-volleys, striking again in game five when Paszek flicked a forehand pick-up into the tramlines.
2011 June 28, David Ornstein, “Wimbledon 2011: Victoria Azarenka beats Tamira Paszek in quarters”, in BBC Sport:
- The act of pressing a place on a touch screen device.
-
A flitch.
a flick of bacon
- A unit of time, equal to 1/705,600,000 of a second.
-
(dated, slang) A chap or fellow; sometimes as a friendly term of address.
'All that I have, dear old flick, is yours for the asking. What can I do?'
1920, H. C. McNeile, Bulldog Drummond:
-
(dated) A photo.
I was taking some flicks of the [p]arade […] and [someone] asked […] if I would like to take a picture of him[.]
1968 April 29, William Gilson, “Loyalty Day”, in Berkley Barb:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| flicks | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
penalty flick · slasher flick · lit flick · Netflix · flick book · flicky · frock flick · skin flick · frat flick · Ardiles flick · kiddie flick · chick flick · horror flick
Descendants
Synonyms
fillip (short, quick movement) · the picture (cinema)
Translations (34)
ru движе́ние (a short, quick movement) · ro bobârnace (act of striking with a finger) · fi pyyhkäisy (a short, quick movement) · ms lenting (a short, quick movement) · de schnipsen (act of striking with a finger) · sv svep (a short, quick movement) · bg лек удар (a short, quick movement) · fi näpäys (a short, quick movement) · ru лёгкий уда́р (a short, quick movement) · es capirotazo (act of striking with a finger) · es chiclazo (act of striking with a finger) · fi flikki (a cut that lands with the point (fencing)) · nl vingerknip (act of striking with a finger) · pt piparote (a short, quick movement) · ru рыво́к (a short, quick movement) · mk перну́вање (a short, quick movement) · izh šolkkuna (act of striking with a finger) · mi whiunga (a short, quick movement) · es papirotazo (act of striking with a finger) · la talitrum (act of striking with a finger) · ro bobârnac (act of striking with a finger) · fr chiquenaude (act of striking with a finger) · fi pisto (a cut that lands with the point (fencing)) · bg перване (a short, quick movement) · ru толчо́к (a short, quick movement) · it buffetto (act of striking with a finger) · fr pichenette (act of striking with a finger) · fi näpäys (act of striking with a finger) · fa تلنگر (a short, quick movement) · mk за́мав (a short, quick movement) · izh šolkka (act of striking with a finger) · ms selak (act of striking with a finger) · es tincazo (act of striking with a finger) · fi pyyhkäisy (act of striking with a finger)