lick

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To move your tongue over something.

   The dog licked my hand.

2. 2
   verb

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

   We licked the other team on Sunday.

3. 3
   verb

   To manage to deal with or overcome a problem.

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

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).

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