WordWeb Online

1. Pass the tongue over
   "the dog licked her hand";
   - lap
    
2. Take up with the tongue
   "the cub licked the milk from its mother's breast";
   - lap, lap up
    
3. [informal] Beat thoroughly and conclusively in a competition or fight
   "We licked the other team on Sunday!";
   - cream [informal], bat, clobber [informal], drub, thrash [informal], marmalise [Brit, informal], marmelize [Brit, informal], marmelise [Brit, informal], wipe the floor [informal], paste [informal], beat hollow [informal], whale [N. Amer, informal], marmalize [Brit, informal], smoke [N. Amer, informal], hammer [informal], muller [Brit, informal], blow away [informal], slaughter [informal], tromp [N. Amer, informal], trounce
    
4. [N. Amer, informal] Find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of
   "did you lick the problem?";
   - solve, work out, figure out, puzzle out, work, suss [Brit, informal], suss out [Brit, informal], unriddle

1. A salt deposit that animals regularly lick
   - salt lick
    
2. Touching with the tongue
   - lap
    
3. (boxing) a blow with the fist
   "I gave him a lick on his nose";
   - punch, clout, poke, biff [informal], slug, dong [Austral, NZ, informal]
    
4. [Brit, informal] At a fast speed
   "the action unfolded at a great lick"

Derived forms: licking, licks, licked

See also: cipher

Type of: beat, beat out, blow, crush, deposit, drink, imbibe, sediment, shell, stroke, touch, touching, trounce, understand, vanquish

Encyclopedia: Lick, James