lick

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈlɪk/ UK /lɪk/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like leak /ɪ/ vs /iː/ Sounds like leek /ɪ/ vs /iː/

Freq #5124

Meanings

1

verb
To move your tongue over something.

The dog licked my hand.
2

verb
To defeat someone completely, especially in a fight or competition.

We licked the other team on Sunday.
3

verb
To manage to deal with or overcome a problem.

I think I can lick this problem with a bit more time.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to move your tongue over... lap

2 verb · to defeat someone... clobber creamdrubthrash

Word family

Forms lickedlickinglicks

Derived forms ass-lickerbelickbootlickcalflickcat-lickcowlickdeerlickfacelickinterlicklick-boxlick-dishlick-platter

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

salt lick
a deposit or block of salt that animals lick

Noun + noun

Proverbs (2)

See all

Simplified etymology

Lick is an Old English word that goes back to an Indo-European root shared with Latin lingua, “tongue.” Through Old French langage, lingua also lies behind the English word language.

Etymology

From Middle English likken, from Old English liccian, from Proto-West Germanic *likkōn, from Proto-Germanic *likkōną, from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵʰ- (“to lick”). Sense evolution towards violence unclear; not paralleled in any other Germanic language. See also Saterland Frisian likje, Dutch likken, German lecken; also Old Irish ligid, Latin lingō (“lick”), ligguriō (“to lap, lick up”), Lithuanian laižyti, Old Church Slavonic лизати (lizati), Ancient Greek λείχω (leíkhō), Old Armenian լիզեմ (lizem), Persian لیسیدن (lisidan), Sanskrit लेढि (léḍhi), रेढि (réḍhi).

*leyǵʰ- Proto-Indo-European likken Middle English liccian Old English *likkōn Proto-West Germanic *likkōną Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# lick

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈlɪk/
**IPA (UK):** /lɪk/
**Frequency rank:** 5124

## Meanings
1. To move your tongue over something.
2. To defeat someone completely, especially in a fight or competition.
3. To manage to deal with or overcome a problem.

## Examples
- The dog licked my hand.
- We licked the other team on Sunday.
- I think I can lick this problem with a bit more time.

## Derived Forms
- ass-licker
- belick
- bootlick
- calflick
- cat-lick
- cowlick
- deerlick
- facelick
- interlick
- lick-box
- lick-dish
- lick-platter

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *leyǵʰ-
- Root: likken
- Root: liccian
- Root: *likkōn
- Root: *likkōną

## Etymology
From Middle English likken, from Old English liccian, from Proto-West Germanic *likkōn, from Proto-Germanic *likkōną, from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵʰ- (“to lick”). Sense evolution towards violence unclear; not paralleled in any other Germanic language. See also Saterland Frisian likje, Dutch likken, German lecken; also Old Irish ligid, Latin lingō (“lick”), ligguriō (“to lap, lick up”), Lithuanian laižyti, Old Church Slavonic лизати (lizati), Ancient Greek λείχω (leíkhō), Old Armenian լիզեմ (lizem), Persian لیسیدن (lisidan), Sanskrit लेढि (léḍhi), रेढि (réḍhi).

## AI Etymology
Lick comes from Middle English likken, from Old English liccian, from Proto-West Germanic *likkōn, from Proto-Germanic *likkōną, from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵʰ- (“to lick”). Sense evolution towards violence unclear; not paralleled in any other Germanic language. See also Saterland Frisian likje, Dutch likken, German lecken; also Old Irish ligid, Latin lingō (“lick”), ligguriō (“to lap, lick up”), Lithuanian laižyti, Old Church Slavonic лизати (lizati), Ancient Greek λείχω (leíkhō), Old Armenian լիզեմ (lizem), Persian لیسیدن (lisidan), Sanskrit लेढि (léḍhi), रेढि (réḍhi).

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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