{
    "term": "lick",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "lick",
            "heSheIt": "licks"
        },
        "pastSimple": "licked",
        "pastParticiple": "licked",
        "ingForm": "licking"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to move your tongue over the surface of something in order to taste it, make it wet or clean it",
            "sensetop": "lick somethinglick something + adj.",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He licked his fingers.",
                    "contextForm": "lick something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I'm tired of licking envelopes."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The cat sat licking its paws."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She licked the spoon clean.",
                    "contextForm": "lick something + adj."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to eat or drink something by licking it",
            "sensetop": "lick something + adv./prep.",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The cat licked up the milk."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She licked the honey off the spoon."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to touch something lightly",
            "sensetop": "lick somethinglick at something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Flames were soon licking the curtains.",
                    "contextForm": "lick something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The flames were now licking at their feet.",
                    "contextForm": "lick at something"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "to easily defeat somebody or deal with something",
            "sensetop": "lick somebody/something",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "We thought we **had them licked**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It was a tricky problem but I think we've licked it."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to train somebody so that they do a particular job, task, etc. well",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "It took him just two weeks to knock the new recruits into shape."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to show too much respect for somebody in authority because you want to please them",
            "labels": "(disapproving)",
            "examples": [],
            "synonyms": "crawl"
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to train somebody so that they do a particular job, task, etc. well",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Leave the boy with me—I'll soon lick him into shape!"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to move your tongue over your lips, especially before eating something good",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to show that you are excited about something and want it to happen soon",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "They were licking their lips at the thought of clinching the deal."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to spend time trying to get your strength or confidence back after a defeat or a disappointing experience",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Leeds are still licking their wounds after their humiliating defeat by Grimsby."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/lɪk/",
                "audio": "li/lick/lick__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/lɪks/",
                "audio": "li/lick/licks__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/lɪkt/",
                "audio": "li/lick/licked__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈlɪkɪŋ/",
                "audio": "li/lick/licking__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/lɪk/",
                "audio": "li/lick/lick__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/lɪks/",
                "audio": "li/lick/licks__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/lɪkt/",
                "audio": "li/lick/licked__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈlɪkɪŋ/",
                "audio": "li/lick/licking__us_2.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Old English liccian, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch likken and German lecken, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek leikhein and Latin lingere."
}