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kick

[kik]

Origin

verb (used with object)

to strike with the foot or feet: to kick the ball; to kick someone in the shins.

to drive, force, make, etc., by or as if by kicks.

Football. to score (a field goal or a conversion) by place-kicking or drop-kicking the ball.

Informal. to make (a car) increase in speed, especially in auto racing: He kicked his car into high gear.

to strike in recoiling: The gun kicked his shoulder.

EXPAND

Slang. to give up or break (a drug addiction): Has he kicked the habit?

Poker. raise (def. 24).

Chiefly South Atlantic States. to reject as a suitor; jilt: He courted her for two years—then she kicked him.

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verb (used without object)

to make a rapid, forceful thrust with the foot or feet: He kicked at the ball. You have to kick rapidly when using a crawl stroke.

10.

to have a tendency to strike with the foot or feet: That horse kicks when you walk into his stall.

11.

Informal. to resist, object, or complain: What's he got to kick about?

12.

to recoil, as a firearm when fired.

13.

to be actively or vigorously involved: He's still alive and kicking.

EXPAND

14.

kick upstairs. upstairs (def. 8).

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Kick is one of our favorite verbs.

So is subtilize. Does it mean:

to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about.

to spend time idly; loaf.

LEARN MORE FUN, UNUSUAL VERBS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

noun

15.

the act of kicking; a blow or thrust with the foot or feet.

16.

power or disposition to kick: That horse has a mean kick.

17.

Informal. an objection or complaint.

18.

Informal.

thrill; pleasurable excitement: His biggest kick comes from telling about the victory.

a strong but temporary interest, often an activity: Making mobiles is his latest kick.

19.

Informal.

a stimulating or intoxicating quality in alcoholic drink.

vim, vigor, or energy.

EXPAND

20.

Football.

an instance of kicking the ball.

any method of kicking the ball: place kick.

a kicked ball.

the distance such a ball travels.

a turn at kicking the ball.

21.

a recoil, as of a gun.

22.

Slang. a pocket: He kept his wallet in his side kick.

23.

kicks, Slang. shoes (def. 1).

24.

Glassmaking.

a solid glass base or an indentation at the base of drinking glasses, bottles, etc., that reduces the liquid capacity of the glassware.

Also, punt. an indentation at the base of a wine bottle, originally for trapping the sediment.

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Verb phrases

25.

kick about, to move from place to place frequently: He kicked about a good deal before settling down.

26.

kick around, Informal.

to treat (someone) harshly or inconsiderately.

to consider, discuss, or speculate about (a proposal, project, etc.): We kicked around various ideas for raising money.

to experiment with.

to pass time idly; wander from place to place aimlessly: We just kicked around for a year after college.

to remain unused, unemployed, or unnoticed: The script has been kicking around for years.

27.

kick back,

to recoil, especially vigorously or unexpectedly.

Informal. to give someone a kickback.

Slang. to return (stolen property, money, etc.) to the owner.

to relax: Let's just kick back and enjoy the weekend.

28.

kick in,

to contribute one's share, especially in money.

Slang. to die.

to become operational; activate; go into effect: The air conditioning kicks in when the temperature reaches 80°F.

29.

kick off,

Football. to begin play or begin play again by a kickoff: The Giants won the toss and elected to kick off.

Slang. to die.

to initiate (an undertaking, meeting, etc.); begin: A rally tomorrow night will kick off the campaign.

EXPAND

30.

kick on, to switch on; turn on: He kicked on the motor and we began to move.

31.

kick out, Informal.

to oust or eject: They have been kicked out of the country club.

to fail; give out: The power kicked out and the room went black.

to separate off, as for review or inspection: The computer kicked out the information in a split second.

Surfing. to turn a surfboard by shifting the weight to the rear, causing the surfboard to come down over the top of a wave, in order to stop a ride.

32.

kick over, Informal. (of an internal-combustion engine) to begin ignition; turn over: The engine kicked over a few times but we couldn't get it started.

33.

kick up,

to drive or force upward by kicking.

to stir up (trouble); make or cause (a disturbance, scene, etc.): They kicked up a tremendous row.

(especially of a machine part) to move rapidly upward: The lever kicks up, engaging the gear.

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Idioms

34.

kick ass, Slang: Vulgar.

to act harshly or use force in order to gain a desired result.

to defeat soundly.

35.

kick in the ass, Slang: Vulgar. kick (def. 39a).

36.

kick in the pants, Informal.

someone or something that is very exciting, enjoyable, amusing, etc.: I think you'll like her, she's a real kick in the pants.

kick (def. 40).

37.

kick in the teeth, an abrupt, often humiliating setback; rebuff: Her refusal even to talk to me was a kick in the teeth.

38.

kick over the traces. trace² (def. 3).

EXPAND

39.

kick the bucket, Slang. bucket (def. 15).

40.

kick the tin, Australian. to give a donation; contribute.

COLLAPSE

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English kiken (v.); origin uncertain

Related forms

kick·a·ble, adjective

kick·less, adjective

out·kick, verb (used with object)

o·ver·kick, verb (used with object)

Synonyms
1. boot. 11. remonstrate; oppose. 11, 17. grumble, growl, grouch, moan; protest.

Link To kick

Collins

World English Dictionary

kick (kɪk)

—vb (sometimes foll by against)
1.	(tr) to drive or impel with the foot
2.	(tr) to hit with the foot or feet
3.	(intr) to strike out or thrash about with the feet, as in fighting or swimming
4.	(intr) to raise a leg high, as in dancing
5.	(of a gun, etc) to recoil or strike in recoiling when fired
6.	(tr) rugby
	a. to make (a conversion or a drop goal) by means of a kick
	b. to score (a goal) by means of a kicked conversion
7.	(tr) soccer to score (a goal) by a kick
8.	(intr) athletics to put on a sudden spurt
9.	(intr) to make a sudden violent movement
10.	(intr) cricket (of a ball) to rear up sharply
11.	informal to object or resist
12.	informal (intr) to be active and in good health (esp in the phrase alive and kicking)
13.	informal to change gear in (a car, esp a racing car): he kicked into third and passed the bigger car
14.	informal (tr) to free oneself of (an addiction, etc): to kick heroin; to kick the habit
15.	kick against the pricks See prick
16.	kick into touch
	a. rugby, soccer See touch to kick the ball out of the playing area and into touch
	b. informal to take some temporizing action so that a problem is shelved or a decision postponed
17.	kick one's heels to wait or be kept waiting
18.	kick over the traces See trace
19.	slang kick the bucket to die
20.	informal kick up one's heels to enjoy oneself without inhibition

—n
21.	a thrust or blow with the foot
22.	any of certain rhythmic leg movements used in swimming
23.	the recoil of a gun or other firearm
24.	informal a stimulating or exciting quality or effect (esp in the phrases get a kick out of or for kicks)
25.	athletics a sudden spurt, acceleration, or boost
26.	a sudden violent movement
27.	informal the sudden stimulating or intoxicating effect of strong alcoholic drink or certain drugs
28.	informal power or force
29.	slang a temporary enthusiasm: he's on a new kick every week
30.	slang kick in the pants
	a. a reprimand or scolding designed to produce greater effort, enthusiasm, etc, in the person receiving it
	b. a setback or disappointment
31.	slang kick in the teeth a humiliating rebuff

[C14 kiken, perhaps of Scandinavian origin]

'kickable

—*adj*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

kick

c.1380, "to strike out with the foot" (earliest in biblical phrase now usually rendered as kick against the pricks), of uncertain origin, perhaps from O.N. kikna "bend backwards, sink at the knees." Fig. sense of "complain, protest, rebel against" (1388) probably is from the Bible verse. Slang sense

EXPAND

of "die" is attested from 1725 (kick the wind was slang for "be hanged," 1598; see also bucket). Meaning "to end one's drug habit" is from 1936. To kick oneself in self-reproach is from 1891. The noun is first recorded 1530. Meaning "recoil (of a gun) when fired" is from 1826. Meaning "surge or fit of pleasure" (often as kicks) is from 1941; originally lit., "stimulation from liquor or drugs" (1844). The kick "the fashion" is c.1700. Kick-off is from 1857 as the first kick in a football match; fig. sense of "start, beginning event" is from 1875. Kickback "illegal or improper payment" is from 1934. Kickboxing first recorded 1971.

COLLAPSE

Slang Dictionary

kick definition

n.
a charge or good feeling (from something); pleasure or enjoyment from something. (See also get a kick out of (so/sth) .) : That song really gives me a kick. I love it!
n.
the joltfrom a drug or a drink of strong liquor. : The kick nearly knocked Harry over.
tv.
to break a drug addiction voluntarily. (Drugs.) : I knew I had the guts in me somewhere to kick juice.
n.
a complaint. : You got another kick, troublemaker?
in.
to complain. : Why are you always kicking?
Go to kicks. :

Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source

kick (off) definition

in.
to die. : We've been waiting for years for that cat to kick off.

Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source

FOLDOC

Computing Dictionary

kick definition

[IRC] To cause somebody to be removed from a IRC channel, an option only available to CHOPs. This is an extreme measure, often used to combat extreme flamage or flooding, but sometimes used at the chop's whim. Compare gun.
[Jargon File]

American Heritage

Idioms & Phrases

kick

In addition to the idioms beginning with kick, also see alive and kicking; for fun (kicks); get a bang (kick) out of.