From Middle English likken, from Old English liccian, from Proto-West Germanic *likkōn, from Proto-Germanic *likkōną (“to lick”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵʰ- (“to lick”). Sense evolution towards violence unclear; not paralleled in any other Germanic language.
Cognates
Cognate with Dutch lekken, likken (“to lick”), German lecken (“to lick”), Vilamovian łaekia, łakia, łȧḱkja (“to lick”), Yiddish לעקן (lekn, “to lick”), French lécher (“to lick”), Friulian lecâ (“to lick”), Italian leccare (“to lick”), Lombard leccà (“to lick”), Norman litchi (“to lick”), Occitan lecar (“to lick”); also Faroese and Icelandic sleikja (“to lick”), Breton leat (“to lick”), Irish and Scottish Gaelic ligh (“to lick”), Welsh llyfu (“to lick”), Latin lingō (“to lick”), Ancient Greek λείχω (leíkhō, “to lick up”), Latvian làizît (“to lick”), Lithuanian laižyti (“to lick”), Bulgarian ли́жа (líža, “to lick”), Czech lízat (“to lick”), Macedonian лиже (liže, “to lick”), Polish lizać (“to lick”), Russian лиза́ть (lizátʹ, “to lick”), Serbo-Croatian ли́зати, lízati (“to lick”), Slovene lizati (“to lick”), Ukrainian лиза́ти (lyzáty, “to lick”), Armenian լիզել (lizel, “to lick”), Central Kurdish لستن (listin, “to lick”), Northern Kurdish alastin, alêstin, alistin, alîstin (“to lick”), Persian لیسیدن (lēsīdan / lisidan, “to lick”), Sanskrit लिह् (lih), रिह् (rih, “to lick; to eat”).
Meanings
The act of licking; a stroke of the tongue.
The cat gave its fur a lick.
The amount of some substance obtainable with a single lick.
Give me a lick of ice cream.
A quick and careless application of anything, as if by a stroke of the tongue.
a lick of paint
to put on colours with a lick of the brush
When ſly Jemmy Twitcher had ſmugg'd up his face / With a lick of court white waſh, 1774, Thomas Gray, “The Candidate”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), Strawberry Hill Press:
A place where animals lick minerals from the ground.
The birds gathered at the clay lick.
A small watercourse or ephemeral stream. It ranks between a rill and a stream.
We used to play in the lick.
(colloquial) A stroke or blow.
Hit that wedge a good lick with the sledgehammer.
Who gave you your worst licks and why? 2013 April 12, “Exclusive: Meet Derpuntae - Bermuda's first meme”, in The Bermuda Sun, archived from the original on 12 Dec 2022:
I went in big licks, and, although it was a good-sized pile, I chopped it all up before he got back at night. 1891, Cecil Roberts, Adrift in America: Or, Work and Adventure in the States, page 148:
(colloquial, in the negative) A small amount; a whit.
Allen Gregory DeLongpre: Why don't I call Jean-Michel at Il Portofino? We'll get a table outside? Ooh, I'm not getting a lick of service. Babe, can I hop on your landline? 2011 Allen Gregory, "Pilot" (season 1, episode 1)
You don't have a lick of sense.
I didn't do a lick of work today.
(informal) An attempt at something.
Well, my album did well, but "Ruby" was a timely song and that wasn't the time for it to step out. […] Then Waylon Jennings took a lick at it on an album, and my old buddy Roger Miller covered it, too, in his album. And although they're outstanding artists, nothing much happened with the song. 1984, Mel Tillis, Walter Wager, Stutterin' Boy, page 170:
A short motif.
There are some really good blues licks in this solo.
(informal) A rate of speed. (Always qualified by good, fair, or a similar adjective.)
The bus was travelling at a good lick when it swerved and left the road.
Dandy Marx, a perfect gentleman in the true sense of the word, now drives forth under single harness ; whereas “once upon a time,” he rushed over the ground at a “big lick,” reigning his four beautiful roans, and continually kicking up an extra excitement among the “fashionables.” 1852, John Denison Vose, Fresh Leaves from the Diary of a Broadway Dandy, page 109:
es lamedura (act of licking) · pl lizanie (act of licking) · scn alliccata (act of licking) · gl lambedela (act of licking) · it leccata (act of licking) · scn liccata (colloquial: a stroke or blow) · ca llepada (act of licking) · fr léchage (act of licking) · cs liz (amount obtainable with a single lick) · se njoallut (act of licking) · cs liz (place where animals lick minerals from the ground) · zza zıwan eştış (music: a short motif) · fa لشتن (act of licking) · ko 핥음 (act of licking) · sma njåalodh (act of licking) · nn slikk (act of licking) · fi oja (small watercourse or ephemeral stream) · nb slikk (act of licking) · sv slick (act of licking) · zza nequr (colloquial: a stroke or blow) · fi nuolaisu (act of licking) · es chin (colloquial: a bit) · nl lik (act of licking) · mk лижење (act of licking) · es bofetón (colloquial: a stroke or blow) · fi nuolaisu (amount obtainable with a single lick) · fi puro (small watercourse or ephemeral stream) · pt lambida (act of licking) · es lambetazo (act of licking) · kmr alîstin (act of licking) · scn alliccata (amount obtainable with a single lick) · scn alliccata (colloquial: a stroke or blow) · fi tippa (colloquial: a bit) · mk лиз (amount obtainable with a single lick) · es lambida (act of licking) · cs jako když plivne (colloquial: a bit) · hu nyalogatás (act of licking) · fa لیس (act of licking) · ka ლოკვა (act of licking) · scn liccata (amount obtainable with a single lick) · zza lêsık (amount obtainable with a single lick) · zza roden (small watercourse or ephemeral stream) · sjd нюаллэ (act of licking) · tl pagdila (act of licking) · es golpazo (colloquial: a stroke or blow) · ast llambedura (act of licking) · scn sucata (colloquial: a stroke or blow) · tr yalamak (act of licking) · bn চাটা (act of licking) · fi mäjäys (colloquial: a stroke or blow) · zza lêstık (place where animals lick minerals from the ground) · ru лиза́ние (act of licking) · uk лиза́ння (act of licking) · zza lêsen (act of licking) · bg солище (place where animals lick minerals from the ground) · fa لیسیدن (act of licking) · hu nyalintás (act of licking) · yi לעק (act of licking) · de Lecken (act of licking) · es lambedura (act of licking) · bcl dilot (act of licking) · ang lǣċ (small watercourse or ephemeral stream) · scn liccata (act of licking) · ang lǣċe (small watercourse or ephemeral stream) · as চেলেকা (act of licking) · bg силен удар (colloquial: a stroke or blow) · ru обли́зывание (act of licking) · cs lízání (act of licking)
From Middle English likken, from Old English liccian, from Proto-West Germanic *likkōn, from Proto-Germanic *likkōną (“to lick”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵʰ- (“to lick”). Sense evolution towards violence unclear; not paralleled in any other Germanic language.
Cognates
Cognate with Dutch lekken, likken (“to lick”), German lecken (“to lick”), Vilamovian łaekia, łakia, łȧḱkja (“to lick”), Yiddish לעקן (lekn, “to lick”), French lécher (“to lick”), Friulian lecâ (“to lick”), Italian leccare (“to lick”), Lombard leccà (“to lick”), Norman litchi (“to lick”), Occitan lecar (“to lick”); also Faroese and Icelandic sleikja (“to lick”), Breton leat (“to lick”), Irish and Scottish Gaelic ligh (“to lick”), Welsh llyfu (“to lick”), Latin lingō (“to lick”), Ancient Greek λείχω (leíkhō, “to lick up”), Latvian làizît (“to lick”), Lithuanian laižyti (“to lick”), Bulgarian ли́жа (líža, “to lick”), Czech lízat (“to lick”), Macedonian лиже (liže, “to lick”), Polish lizać (“to lick”), Russian лиза́ть (lizátʹ, “to lick”), Serbo-Croatian ли́зати, lízati (“to lick”), Slovene lizati (“to lick”), Ukrainian лиза́ти (lyzáty, “to lick”), Armenian լիզել (lizel, “to lick”), Central Kurdish لستن (listin, “to lick”), Northern Kurdish alastin, alêstin, alistin, alîstin (“to lick”), Persian لیسیدن (lēsīdan / lisidan, “to lick”), Sanskrit लिह् (lih), रिह् (rih, “to lick; to eat”).
Meanings
(transitive) To stroke with the tongue.
The cat licked its fur.
(transitive) To lap; to take in with the tongue.
She licked the last of the honey off the spoon before washing it.
Jim closed his eyes and licked his vanilla ice cream cone.
(colloquial, dated) To beat with repeated blows.
"What a curious kind of a fool a girl is! Never been licked in school! Shucks! What's a licking! That's just like a girl -- they're so thin-skinned and chicken-hearted. […]" 1876, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter XX, in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Hartford, Conn.: The American Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 163:
(colloquial, dated) To defeat decisively, particularly in a fight.
My dad can lick your dad.
(colloquial, dated) To overcome.
I think I can lick this.
This week, diskery and phono manufacturer spokesmen sounded tempering notes of caution as they discussed the many problems still to be licked in developing truly compatible stereo with fidelity standards equal to those now available in monaural disks. 1957 December 30, Ren Grevatt, “Concensus Tabs Stereo Disk Still in Research Stage: Diskery and Phono Toppers Sound Tempering Notes of Caution”, in Billboard, page 11:
(slang, vulgar) To perform cunnilingus.
(colloquial) To do anything partially.
(of flame, qualifier:waves etc.) To lap.
Now, in this decadent age the art of fire-making had been altogether forgotten on the earth. The red tongues that went licking up my heap of wood were an altogether new and strange thing to Weena. 1895 May 29, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, chapter XI, in The Time Machine: An Invention, London: William Heinemann, →OCLC:
ru побежда́ть (colloquial: to defeat decisively) · th เลีย (to stroke with the tongue) · grc λείχω (to stroke with the tongue) · yi לעקן (to stroke with the tongue) · fur lenzi (to stroke with the tongue) · cu лизати (to stroke with the tongue) · izh kaalia (to stroke with the tongue) · qu llunk'uy (to stroke with the tongue) · qu llagwai (to stroke with the tongue) · bua долёохо (to stroke with the tongue) · nem hnami (to stroke with the tongue) · te నాకు (to stroke with the tongue) · shn လေး (to stroke with the tongue) · es lambiscar (to lap, to take in with the tongue) · qu llaqway (to stroke with the tongue) · gd imlich (to stroke with the tongue) · hu nyal (to stroke with the tongue) · fwa hnami (to stroke with the tongue) · xal долах (to stroke with the tongue) · eo leki (to stroke with the tongue) · sl polizati (to stroke with the tongue) · myv нолсемс (to stroke with the tongue) · ain ケㇺ (to stroke with the tongue) · bcl dilot (to stroke with the tongue) · hrx lecke (to stroke with the tongue) · sq lëpij (to stroke with the tongue) · bg ли́жа (to stroke with the tongue) · cmn 打敗 /打败 (colloquial: to defeat decisively) · lo ເລຍ (to stroke with the tongue) · nb sleike (to stroke with the tongue) · be ліза́ць (to stroke with the tongue) · hsb lizać (to stroke with the tongue) · de lecken (to stroke with the tongue) · bn চাটা (to stroke with the tongue) · scn alliccari (to stroke with the tongue) · gl lamber (to lap, to take in with the tongue) · qu lampiy (to stroke with the tongue) · is sleikja (to stroke with the tongue) · ur چاٹنا (to stroke with the tongue) · it lambire (to lap, to take in with the tongue) · eve дал- (to stroke with the tongue) · sga ligid (to stroke with the tongue) · sah салаа (to stroke with the tongue) · ko 핥다 (to stroke with the tongue) · kk жалау (to stroke with the tongue) · ja 負かす (colloquial: to defeat decisively) · ceb tilap (to stroke with the tongue) · nb slikke (to stroke with the tongue) · ota یالامق (to lap, to take in with the tongue) · cy llyfu (to stroke with the tongue) · bo ལྕེ་ལྡག་རྒྱག (to stroke with the tongue) · mr चाटणे (to stroke with the tongue) · nn slikke (to stroke with the tongue) · ckb لستن (to stroke with the tongue) · tg лесидан (to stroke with the tongue) · ru лизну́ть (to stroke with the tongue) · gl lamber (to stroke with the tongue) · es lambear (to stroke with the tongue) · sm eto (to stroke with the tongue) · hi चाटना (to stroke with the tongue) · cs líznout (to stroke with the tongue) · fr défaire (colloquial: to defeat decisively) · es lametear (to stroke with the tongue) · km លិឍ (to stroke with the tongue) · uz yalamoq (to stroke with the tongue) · oc lecar (to stroke with the tongue) · bg лижа (vulgar slang: to perform cunnilingus) · ja 舐ぶる (to stroke with the tongue) · vi liếm (to stroke with the tongue) · bo ལྕེ་ལྡག་བརྒྱབ (to stroke with the tongue) · ar لَحَسَ (to stroke with the tongue) · de lecken (vulgar slang: to perform cunnilingus) · ro linge (to stroke with the tongue) · as চেলেক (to stroke with the tongue) · tk ýalamak (to stroke with the tongue) · scn alliccari (to lap, to take in with the tongue) · chr ᎠᎦᎾᏗᎠ (to stroke with the tongue) · de schlagen (colloquial: to defeat decisively) · sh lizati (to stroke with the tongue) · la lambō (to stroke with the tongue) · ga ligh (to stroke with the tongue) · sk lízať (to stroke with the tongue) · sl lizati (to stroke with the tongue) · scn sucari (to lap, to take in with the tongue) · fr lécher (to stroke with the tongue) · ta நக்கு (to stroke with the tongue) · my လျက် (to stroke with the tongue) · cmn 舐 (to stroke with the tongue) · hy լիզել (to stroke with the tongue) · got 𐌱𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌲𐍉𐌽 (to stroke with the tongue) · scn liccari (to lap, to take in with the tongue) · enm likken (to stroke with the tongue) · la lingō (to stroke with the tongue) · bo ལྡག་པ (to stroke with the tongue) · nl likken (to stroke with the tongue) · he לִקֵּק (to stroke with the tongue) · dsb lizaś (to stroke with the tongue) · tr somurmak (colloquial: to defeat decisively) · el γλείφω (to stroke with the tongue) · scn lìnciri (to stroke with the tongue) · es lamer (to stroke with the tongue) · es langüetear (to lap, to take in with the tongue) · ps څټل (to stroke with the tongue) · zza lêsen (to stroke with the tongue) · de besiegen (colloquial: to defeat decisively) · ar لَعِقَ (to stroke with the tongue) · uk полиза́ти (to stroke with the tongue) · cs lízat (to stroke with the tongue) · piz hnami (to stroke with the tongue) · hu nyal (vulgar slang: to perform cunnilingus) · scn liccari (to stroke with the tongue) · cmn 舔 (to stroke with the tongue) · ms jilat (to stroke with the tongue) · za riz (to stroke with the tongue) · nn sleike (to stroke with the tongue) · ru полиза́ть (to stroke with the tongue) · haw palu (to stroke with the tongue) · bg облизвам (to lap, to take in with the tongue) · ky жалоо (to stroke with the tongue) · fr vaincre (colloquial: to defeat decisively) · ltg lyzguot (to stroke with the tongue) · gld илэ- (to stroke with the tongue) · da slikke (fisse) (vulgar slang: to perform cunnilingus) · sv slicka (to stroke with the tongue) · be паліза́ць (to stroke with the tongue) · az yalamaq (to stroke with the tongue) · be лізну́ць (to stroke with the tongue) · uk лизну́ти (to stroke with the tongue) · bg надминавам (colloquial: to overcome) · br lipat (to stroke with the tongue) · ang liccian (to stroke with the tongue) · sh лизати (to stroke with the tongue) · lv laizīt (to stroke with the tongue) · gl lapar (to lap, to take in with the tongue) · zza lısten (colloquial: to defeat decisively) · pt lamber (to stroke with the tongue) · es lamber (to lap, to take in with the tongue) · ceb tila (to stroke with the tongue) · es lamer (to lap, to take in with the tongue) · orv лизати (to stroke with the tongue) · es lambetear (to stroke with the tongue) · mnc ᡳᠯᡝᠮᠪᡳ (to stroke with the tongue) · es lamber (to stroke with the tongue) · zza lêsnayen (vulgar slang: to perform cunnilingus) · mk лиже (vulgar slang: to perform cunnilingus) · fi klaarata (colloquial: to overcome) · nap liccà (to stroke with the tongue) · ug يالىماق (to stroke with the tongue) · mn долоох (to stroke with the tongue) · ceb dila (to stroke with the tongue) · pl lizać (to stroke with the tongue) · es relamer (to stroke with the tongue) · ka ლოკვა (to stroke with the tongue) · km លិទ្ធ (to stroke with the tongue) · uk лиза́ти (to stroke with the tongue) · da slikke (to stroke with the tongue) · et lakkuma (to stroke with the tongue) · izh noolla (to stroke with the tongue) · ajp لحس (to stroke with the tongue) · id jilat (to stroke with the tongue) · sa लिहति (to stroke with the tongue) · wym łakia (to stroke with the tongue) · sip ལྕེ་ལྡག (to stroke with the tongue) · fa لیسیدن (to stroke with the tongue) · ba ялау (to stroke with the tongue) · scn lìnciri (vulgar slang: to perform cunnilingus) · lmo leccà (to stroke with the tongue) · fi pieksää (colloquial: to defeat decisively) · it leccare (to stroke with the tongue) · pl liznąć (to stroke with the tongue) · ja 舐める (to stroke with the tongue) · ast llamber (to stroke with the tongue) · scn alliccari (vulgar slang: to perform cunnilingus) · fi nuolla (vulgar slang: to perform cunnilingus) · br leat (to stroke with the tongue) · bxd jaʔ³¹ (to stroke with the tongue) · fi nuolla (to stroke with the tongue) · scn liccari (vulgar slang: to perform cunnilingus) · ru победи́ть (colloquial: to defeat decisively) · mk лиже (to stroke with the tongue) · udm нюлыны (to stroke with the tongue) · tr yalamak (to stroke with the tongue) · ca llepar (to stroke with the tongue) · jaz hnami (to stroke with the tongue) · fur lecâ (to stroke with the tongue) · hy լպստել (to stroke with the tongue) · sh liznuti (to stroke with the tongue) · ru лиза́ть (to stroke with the tongue) · nrf litchi (to stroke with the tongue) · nn sleikje (to stroke with the tongue) · arz لحس (to stroke with the tongue) · syl ꠟꠤꠀꠘꠤ (to stroke with the tongue) · fo sleikja (to stroke with the tongue) · enm licken (to stroke with the tongue) · ru обли́зывать (to stroke with the tongue) · sh лизнути (to stroke with the tongue) · ru лиза́ть (vulgar slang: to perform cunnilingus) · es lengüetear (to lap, to take in with the tongue) · pcc riez (to stroke with the tongue) · ota یالامق (to stroke with the tongue) · lt laižyti (to stroke with the tongue) · et limpsima (to stroke with the tongue)
lick en · NOUN · etymology 2
Etymology
Back-formation from hit a lick, which see. Ultimately from liquor.
Meanings
An instance or opportunity to earn money fast, usually by illegal means, thus a heist, drug deal etc. or its victim; mostly used in phrasal verbs: hit a lick, hit licks
JAEKAE: Free all my G’s, they got locked for licks. Five minutes of fame and I’m hittin’ for six. Past seven, eight, nine, and you’re in my bits. 2020 January 9, “1AM”, in Nasty, performed by Jaykae and Kida Kudz:
Remember on my first lick, got lost in a house / Had to dip, bro, quick, before the dogs came out 2020 April 7, “Did Alotta”, Kai Bandz (lyrics), 1:07:
You see a lick and you rob him / I see a lick then I stop on the block and I pause him 2019 January 31, Lil Darkie (prod. Wendigo), “rap music” (1:55 from the start):
Is it really necessary how I live the way I do it
I live for the lick – you see me breathing, I just proved it 2022 January 2, Kruk One, “Intoxicated” (1:55 from the start):
Bitch, pig, pull out with the stick / everything I hit like a lick / We don’t miss 2018 July 27, “Strip Talk”, Marty Mula (lyrics), 1:52: