lickpenny C2+ Topic:Space, Position & Direction US /ˈlɪkˌpɛni/ UK /ˈlɪkˌpɛni/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun something that consumes money; a costly thing or place The old tavern was a notorious lickpenny for travelers. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · something that consumes... spendthriftdrain Word family Related forms lickpenny Etymology AI details A compound of lick (Old English liccian 'to lick') and penny (Old English penig), the image being of something that 'licks up' one's money. liccian Old English penig Old English View etymology graph -> Topics Space, Position & Direction Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # lickpenny **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈlɪkˌpɛni/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈlɪkˌpɛni/ ## Meanings 1. something that consumes money; a costly thing or place ## Examples - The old tavern was a notorious lickpenny for travelers. ## Synonyms - spendthrift - drain ## Related Forms - lick - penny ## Roots and Affixes - Root: liccian - Root: penig ## Etymology A compound of lick (Old English liccian 'to lick') and penny (Old English penig), the image being of something that 'licks up' one's money. ## AI Etymology Lickpenny is a compound of lick (Old English liccian 'to lick') and penny (Old English penig), the image being of something that 'licks up' one's money. The etymological trail includes Old English liccian, Old English penig. The same word family includes lick, penny. Its current noun use means "something that consumes money; a costly thing or place". ## Topics - Space, Position & Direction - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown