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Definition of "licking" [lick•ing]

  • Slang A beating, thrashing, or spanking. (noun)
  • Slang A severe loss or defeat. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "licking" in a sentence
  • "I imagine much wound-licking is going on and the long-term damage remains to be seen."
  • "Which I guess is good, because considering the amount of garlic I ate tonight, the odds of anyone else getting in licking range are pretty slim."
  • "When he was taken out of the plaster, he was still denied that instinctive pleasure which all animals take in licking their wounds, for shrewdly arranged bandages were wrapped and buckled on him."