licking

noun

lick·ing | \ˈli-kiŋ

\

Definition of licking

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a sound thrashing : drubbing

Licking

geographical name

Lick·ing | \ˈli-kiŋ

\

Definition of Licking (Entry 2 of 2)

river 320 miles (515 kilometers) long in northeastern Kentucky flowing northwest into the Ohio River

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Examples of licking in a Sentence

Noun

His father threatened to give him a licking if he didn't stop misbehaving. our team took a licking last night, but we'll get them next time

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Cats lick to groom themselves, but sometimes, things like boredom, stress, pain and even nutritional deficiencies can lead to excessive licking of themselves as well as other things around the home. — Cathy M. Rosenthal, courant.com, "Young Reader Is Worried About Her Lethargic Dog," 6 June 2018 Marchand, who has been suspended four times in his NHL career for other kinds of on-ice misconduct, has never faced discipline for unsolicited kissing and licking. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "A Look at the Possible Consequences of Brad Marchand's Tactic of Licking Opponents," 6 May 2018 Along those lines, there is no record of prosecutors prosecuting NHL players for unwanted licking (or kissing) of opposing teams’ players. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "A Look at the Possible Consequences of Brad Marchand's Tactic of Licking Opponents," 6 May 2018 Marchand spoke to senior vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell and general manager Don Sweeney on Saturday as the league issued a warning to stop the licking. — Jimmy Hascup, USA TODAY, "Bruins coach to Brad Marchand: 'Find another way' to agitate that doesn't involve licking," 6 May 2018 There's no excusing her licking donuts, but as far as her comments about America go, there's one person who thinks everyone is overreacting: Raven-Symone. — Noelle Devoe, Seventeen, "Raven-Symone Defends Ariana Grande's "I Hate America" Comment," 10 July 2015 Tough Trocheck takes a licking and keeps on dishing. — Walter Villa, miamiherald, "The Panthers’ home winning streak may be over, but the playoff chase is alive and well | Miami Herald," 12 Mar. 2018 Rhonda A: Cats are fastidious groomers, but excessive licking and the resulting alopecia is often a symptom of another problem that needs to be addressed. — Cathy M. Rosenthal, San Antonio Express-News, "The top signs your dog is stressed," 5 Jan. 2018 Moreover, there’s evidence that this licking isn’t an island thing exclusively: Deer are occasionally spotted giving tongue baths to cats, at least, in mainland backyards. — Paul Bisceglio, The Atlantic, "Why Is This Deer Licking This Fox?," 23 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'licking.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near licking

licking disease

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Time Traveler for licking

The first known use of licking was in 1756

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More Definitions for licking

licking

noun

English Language Learners Definition of licking

: a severe beating

: a severe defeat

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