LICK

To draw or pass the tongue over; as, a dog licks his master's hand. Addison.

To lap; to take in with the tongue; as, a dog or cat licks milk. Shak. To lick the dust, to be slain; to fall in battle. "His enemies shall lick the dust." Ps. lxxii. 9. -- To lick into shape, to give proper form to; -- from a notion that the bear's cubs are born shapeless and subsequently formed by licking. Hudibras. -- To lick the spittle of, to fawn upon. South. -- To lick up, to take all of by licking; to devour; to consume entirely. Shak. Num. xxii. 4.

A stroke of the tongue in licking. "A lick at the honey pot." Dryden.

A quick and careless application of anything, as if by a stroke of the tongue, or of something which acts like a tongue; as, to put on colors with a lick of the brush. Also, a small quantity of any substance so applied. [Colloq.] A lick of court white wash. Gray.

A place where salt is found on the surface of the earth, to which wild animals resort to lick it up; -- often, but not always, near salt springs. [U. S.]

To strike with repeated blows for punishment; to flog; to whip or conquer, as in a pugilistic encounter. [Colloq. or Low] Carlyle. Thackeray.

A slap; a quick stroke.[Colloq.] "A lick across the face." Dryden.