licks; licked; licking
1
: to pass the tongue over (a surface, an object, etc.)
He licked the stamp before putting it on the envelope.
The dog licked my cheek. = The dog licked me on the cheek.
The dog licked at the plate.
2
: to take (something) into your mouth with your tongue
She licked the sauce off her finger.
The cat licked the milk off/from her paws.
3
: to lightly touch or go over (a surface)
Flames were already licking the ceiling.
Flames were already licking at/against the ceiling.
4
informal
a
: to defeat (someone) in a fight or contest
He's pretty big, but I think I can lick him.
b
: to solve (a problem)
Engineers think they have licked the problem with the rocket engine.
plural licks
1
: the act of passing your tongue over something : the act of licking something
He gave the bowl a lick. [=he licked the bowl]
Could I have a lick of your ice cream?
2
informal
: a small amount : bit
It just needs a lick of paint.
—often used in negative statements in U.S. EnglishShe couldn't swim a lick. [=she couldn't swim at all]
He hasn't done a lick of work. [=he hasn't done any work]
She thinks he isn't worth a lick. [=she thinks he is worthless]
3
informal
: a hard hit
a football player who has taken a lot of licks [=who has been hit hard many times]
—often used figuratively in U.S. EnglishHe said some pretty harsh things to her, but she got in a few licks herself. [=she also said some harsh things to him]
The movie has taken its licks from the critics. [=has been harshly reviewed by the critics]
4
informal
: a very short part of a piece of music
guitar licks
Cite this Entry
“Lick.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/lick. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
Copy Citation
