From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Lick \Lick\ (l[i^]k), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Licked} (l[i^]kt); p.
pr. & vb. n. {Licking}.] [AS. liccian; akin to OS. likk[=o]n,
D. likken, OHG. lecch[=o]n, G. lecken, Goth. bi-laig[=o]n,
Russ. lizate, L. lingere, Gr. lei`chein, Skr. lih, rih.
[root]121. Cf. {Lecher}, {Relish}.]
1. To draw or pass the tongue over; as, a dog licks his
master's hand. --Addison.
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2. To lap; to take in with the tongue; as, a dog or cat licks
milk. --Shak.
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{To lick the dust}, to be slain; to fall in battle. "His
enemies shall lick the dust." --Ps. lxxii. 9.
{To lick into shape}, to give proper form to; -- from a
notion that the bear's cubs are born shapeless and
subsequently formed by licking. --Hudibras.
{To lick the spittle of}, to fawn upon. --South.
{To lick up}, to take all of by licking; to devour; to
consume entirely. --Shak. --Num. xxii. 4.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Licking \Lick"ing\, n.
1. A lapping with the tongue.
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2. A flogging or castigation. [Colloq. or Low]
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
licking
n 1: an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest; "it was a
narrow defeat"; "the army's only defeat"; "they suffered a
convincing licking" [syn: {defeat}, {licking}] [ant:
{triumph}, {victory}]
2: the act of inflicting corporal punishment with repeated blows
[syn: {beating}, {thrashing}, {licking}, {drubbing},
{lacing}, {trouncing}, {whacking}]
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