Nearby Words
verb (used with object)
1.
to pass the tongue over the surface of, as to moisten, taste, or eat (often followed by up, off, from, etc.): to lick a postage stamp; to lick an ice-cream cone.
2.
to make, or cause to become, by stroking with the tongue: to lick a spoon clean.
3.
(of waves, flames, etc.) to pass or play lightly over: The flame licked the dry timber.
4.
Informal.
a.
to hit or beat, especially as a punishment; thrash; whip.
b.
to overcome or defeat, as in a fight, game, or contest.
c.
to outdo or surpass.
verb (used without object)
5.
to move quickly or lightly.
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Lick into shape
is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
noun
Verb phrase6.
a stroke of the tongue over something.
7.
as much as can be taken up by one stroke of the tongue.
9.
Informal.
a.
a blow.
b.
a brief, brisk burst of activity or energy.
c.
a quick pace or clip; speed.
d.
a small amount: I haven't done a lick of work all week.
10.
EXPANDUsually, licks. a critical or complaining remark.
11.
COLLAPSEUsually, licks. Jazz Slang. a musical phrase, as by a soloist in improvising.
12.
Idiomslick up, to lap up; devour greedily.
13.
last licks, a final turn or opportunity: We got in our last licks on the tennis court before the vacation ended.
14.
lick and a promise, a hasty and perfunctory performance in doing something: I didn't have time to clean thoroughly, so I gave the room a lick and a promise.
15.
16.
lick into shape, Informal. to bring to completion or perfection through discipline, hard work, etc.: They needed another rehearsal to lick the production into shape.
17.
EXPANDlick one's chops. chop3 (def. 7).
Origin:
before 1000; Middle English; Old English liccian, cognate with Old Saxon liccōn, Old High German leckōn; akin to Go bilaigon, Latin lingere, Greek leíchein to lick (up)
before 1000; Middle English; Old English liccian, cognate with Old Saxon liccōn, Old High German leckōn; akin to Go bilaigon, Latin lingere, Greek leíchein to lick (up)
Related forms
lick·er, noun
Synonyms
9a. thwack, thump, rap, slap, cuff, buffet.
9a. thwack, thump, rap, slap, cuff, buffet.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To lick into shape
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
lick
"an act of licking," 1603, from lick (v.). Meaning "small portion" is 1814, originally Scottish; hence U.S. colloquial sense. Sense of "place where an animal goes to lick salt" is from 1747. Lickety-split is 1859 in Amer.Eng. (earlier lickety-cut, lickety-click, and simply
EXPAND licketie, 1817) from dial. meaning of lick "very fast sprint in a race" (1809). The jazz music sense of "short figure or solo" is from 1920s.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary
lick (sth) into shape definitionand whip (sth) into shape
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Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
lick into shape
Also, whip into shape. Bring into satisfactory condition or appearance, as in The garden looks neglected, but Dad will soon lick it into shape, or We need at least three more practices before the team is whipped into shape. The expression using lick, which some think alludes to how bears treat their cubs, dates from about 1600. The variant alludes to the forceful use of a whip to accomplish something.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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