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Webster 1913 Edition

Lick

Lick

(lĭk)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Licked
(lĭkt)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Licking
.]
[AS.
liccian
; akin to OS.
likkōn
, D.
likken
, OHG.
lecchōn
, G.
lecken
, Goth.
bi-laigōn
, Russ.
lizate
, L.
lingere
, Gr.
λείχειν
, Skr.
lih
,
rih
. √121. Cf.
Lecher
,
Relish
.]
1.
To draw or pass the tongue over;
as, a dog
licks
his master’s hand
.
Addison.
2.
To lap; to take in with the tongue;
as, a dog or cat
licks
milk
.
Shak.
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.

Lick

,
Noun.
[See
Lick
,
Verb.
]
1.
A stroke of the tongue in licking.
“A lick at the honey pot.”
Dryden.
2.
A quick and careless application of anything, as if by a stroke of the tongue, or of something which acts like a tongue;
as, to put on colors with a
lick
of the brush
. Also, a small quantity of any substance so applied.
[Colloq.]
A
lick
of court whitewash.
Gray.
3.
A place where salt is found on the surface of the earth, to which wild animals resort to lick it up; – often, but not always, near salt springs. Called also
salt lick
.
[U. S.]

Lick

,
Verb.
T.
[Cf. OSw.
lägga
to place, strike, prick.]
To strike with repeated blows for punishment; to flog; to whip or conquer, as in a pugilistic encounter.
[Colloq. or Low]
Carlyle.
Thackeray.

Lick

,
Noun.
A slap; a quick stroke.
[Colloq.]
“A lick across the face.”
Dryden.

Webster 1828 Edition

Lick

LICK

,
Verb.
T.
[L. lingo; Gr. See Like and Sleek.]
1.
To pass or draw the tongue over the surface; as, a dog licks a wound.
2.
To lap; to take in by the tongue; as, a dog or cat licks milk. 1Kings 21.
To lick up, to devour; to consume entirely.
Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as an ox licketh up the grass of the field. Numbers 22.
To lick the dust, to be slain; to perish in battle.
His enemies shall lick the dust. Ps. 72.

LICK

,
Noun.
In America, a place where beasts of the forest lick for salt, at salt springs.

LICK

, n.
1.
A blow; a stroke. [Not an elegant word.]
2.
A wash; something rubbed on. [Not in use.]

LICK

,
Verb.
T.
To strike repeatedly for punishment; to flog; to chastise with blows. [Not an elegant word; but probably flog, L. fligo, is from the root of this word.]

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