lick

 The verb "lick" is used to describe the use of the tongue for eating, tasting, and applying moisture to something:

The cat is licking her paw.
He’s licking an ice cream cone.
Jose is licking an envelope.	My name is Jose.

"Lick" is a regular verb:

• Billy licked the sucker until it was gone.
• Mary licked a small cut on her hand.
• Don’t let the baby lick that. It’ll make him sick!
• Their team got licked. They lost the match by 20 points.*

* Note: To "get licked" or "be licked" is to be beaten in competition or in a fight. You can also use the word "lick" to describe a punishment: The little boy got licked for stealing money from his mother.

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This page was first published on September 2, 2012. It was updated on April 23, 2016.