lick
verbVerb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they lick | |
| he / she / it licks | |
| past simple licked | |
| past participle licked | |
| -ing form licking |
- [transitive]
to move your tongue over the surface of something in order to eat it, make it wet or clean it 舔 - [transitive] lick something + adv./prep.
to eat or drink something by licking it 舔吃；舔着喝 - [transitive, intransitive]
(of flames 火焰 to touch something lightly 掠过；（火舌）舔食 - [transitive] lick somebody/something (informal)
to easily defeat somebody or deal with something 轻松战胜；轻易对付
Word OriginOld 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.
Idioms
get/knock/lick somebody into shape
to train somebody so that they do a particular job, task, etc. well 把某人培养成材（或训练出来） It took him just two weeks to knock the new recruits into shape. 他只用了两个星期就把新兵训练好了。 Leave the boy with me—I'll soon knock him into shape! 把这男孩交给我，我会很快把他调教好的！
lick somebody’s boots
(British English, taboo, slang lick somebody’s arse)
- (disapproving)
to show too much respect for somebody in authority because you want to please them 阿谀奉承；谄媚；拍马屁
lick/get/knock somebody into shape
to train somebody so that they do a particular job, task, etc. well 把某人培养成材（或训练出来） Leave the boy with me—I'll soon lick him into shape! 把这个男孩交给我吧——我很快就会把他驯服的！
lick/smack your lips
lick your wounds
to spend time trying to get your strength or confidence back after a defeat or a disappointing experience （失败或失望后）恢复元气，重整旗鼓 Leeds are still licking their wounds after their humiliating defeat by Grimsby. 利兹队在耻辱地被格里姆斯比击败后，仍在舔伤口。