HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY
To look up an entry in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, use the search window above. For best results, after typing in the word, click on the “Search” button instead of using the “enter” key.
Some compound words (like bus rapid transit, dog whistle, or identity theft) don’t appear on the drop-down list when you type them in the search bar. For best results with compound words, place a quotation mark before the compound word in the search window.
THE USAGE PANEL
The Usage Panel is a group of nearly 200 prominent scholars, creative writers, journalists, diplomats, and others in occupations requiring mastery of language. Annual surveys have gauged the acceptability of particular usages and grammatical constructions.
AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY APP
The new American Heritage Dictionary app is now available for iOS and Android.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY BLOG
The articles in our blog examine new words, revised definitions, interesting images from the fifth edition, discussions of usage, and more.
INTERESTED IN DICTIONARIES?
Check out the Dictionary Society of North America at http://www.dictionarysociety.com
v. licked, lick·ing, licks v.tr. 1. To pass the tongue over or along: lick a stamp. 2. To lap up: The cat licked the milk from the bowl. 3. To lap or flicker at like a tongue: The waves licked the sides of the boat. 4. Slang a. To beat or thrash. b. To defeat soundly: licked their rivals in lacrosse. c. To deal with effectively; overcome: licked her weight problem. v.intr. To pass or lap quickly and rapidly: The flames licked at our feet. n. Idioms: 1. The act or process of licking. 2. An amount obtained by licking: a lick of ice cream. 3. A small quantity; a bit: hasn't got a lick of common sense. 4. A deposit of exposed natural salt that is licked by passing animals. 5. Slang A sudden hard stroke; a blow. 6. Slang An attempt; a try: Why not give those skis a lick? 7. Informal Speed; pace: moving along at a good lick. 8. Music A phrase improvised by a soloist, especially on the guitar or banjo. lick and a promise A superficial effort made without care or enthusiasm. lick into shape Informal To bring into satisfactory condition or appearance. lick (one's) chops To anticipate delightedly. lick (one's) wounds To recuperate after a defeat. lick (someone's) boots To behave in a servile or obsequious manner toward someone. [Middle English licken, from Old English liccian; see leigh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] licker n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
