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 lick into shape, lick one's chops, lick one's wounds
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 lick and a promise
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
Alexander Smith, NBC news, 2 Jan. 2026
When asked by director Marina Zenovich if there was a time when Chase walked away from his mother and stepfather and never saw them again, Chase pretended to swat a fly on his forehead, then licked his fingers as if eating the imaginary bug.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 2 Jan. 2026
Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
And all without a lick of spandex.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lick
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Verb
Even as flames licked the rafters and debris began to drip down, some onlookers filmed on their phones while others kept dancing or talking over the music.
—Noun
The social media star picked up what appeared to be kangaroo feces on the grass and gave it a lick, much to Irwin's surprise.
—Cite this Entry
“Lick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lick. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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