licked; licking; licks
1
a(1)
: to draw the tongue over
(2)
: to flicker over like a tongue
b
: to take into the mouth with the tongue : lap
see also:
1
2
3
a
: a natural salt deposit (such as a salt spring) that animals lick
b
: a block of often medicated saline preparation given to livestock to lick
4
: a musical figure
specifically
: an interpolated and usually improvised figure or flourish
see also:
Examples of lick in a Sentence
Verb
He licked the stamp before putting it on the envelope.
The dog licked at the plate.
She licked the sauce off her finger.
The cat licked the milk off her paws.
Flames were already licking the ceiling.
Flames were already licking at the ceiling.
Noun
Could I have a lick of your ice cream?
It just needs a lick of paint.
Recent Examples on the Web
Blair Braverman, Outside, 3 Mar. 2026
Pups lick clean their pup cups Video above, shared by Saraceno, showed the pups excitedly digging into their cups and jumping up with joy.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
Jessica Moore, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
Every fashion photographer, model, chat-show host, and film director ends up here, on a perfect lick of beach, a short hop from the main drag of frisky boho Tulum.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lick
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Verb
At Nadeau’s Ice Sculptures, the oldest carving factory in America, a team of former archaeologists and butchers creates ephemeral art designed to be licked, touched, and eventually, lost.
—Noun
This lick mat is designed to help reduce your pup's anxiety and boredom in the crate.
—Cite this Entry
“Lick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lick. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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