LICKING

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does licking mean? 

• LICKING (noun)
  The noun LICKING has 2 senses:

1. an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest

2. the act of inflicting corporal punishment with repeated blows

  Familiarity information: LICKING used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LICKING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

defeat; licking

Context example:

they suffered a convincing licking

Hypernyms ("licking" is a kind of...):

conclusion; ending; finish (event whose occurrence ends something)

failure (an event that does not accomplish its intended purpose)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "licking"):

heartbreaker (a narrow defeat or a defeat at the last minute)

lurch (a decisive defeat in a game (especially in cribbage))

rout (an overwhelming defeat)

shutout; skunk (a defeat in a game where one side fails to score)

debacle; drubbing; slaughter; thrashing; trouncing; walloping; whipping (a sound defeat)

waterloo (a final crushing defeat)

whitewash (a defeat in which the losing person or team fails to score)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of inflicting corporal punishment with repeated blows

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

beating; drubbing; lacing; licking; thrashing; trouncing; whacking

Hypernyms ("licking" is a kind of...):

corporal punishment (the infliction of physical injury on someone convicted of committing a crime)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "licking"):

flagellation; flogging; lashing; tanning; whipping (beating with a whip or strap or rope as a form of punishment)

flagellation (beating as a source of erotic or religious stimulation)

 Context examples 

There was a low, sweet ripple of laughter, and in a rage I threw open the door, and saw without the three terrible women licking their lips.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

He looked at Kiche licking her puppy and stopping now and then to snarl at him.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

He leaned forward, licking his lips, nervously spreading and closing his fingers, while he watched Martin write a check.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

The cat’s mouth soon began to water for some more licking.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

I sat in the sun on a bench; the animal within me licking the chops of memory; the spiritual side a little drowsed, promising subsequent penitence, but not yet moved to begin.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

“Yes, I am not very well,” answered the other, making obvious efforts to pull himself together, and licking his dry lips before he spoke.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

When the latter shook hands with Walt, Wolf repeated his act, resting his weight on Walt and licking both men's hands.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

His first glance was for Buck, over whose limp and apparently lifeless body Nig was setting up a howl, while Skeet was licking the wet face and closed eyes.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Ha! he may wake some black night to find the flames licking about his ears—for fire is a good friend to the poor man, and I have seen a smoking heap of ashes where over night there stood just such another castlewick as Ashby.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The animal dragged itself reluctantly out of his way, licking its chops with a tongue which seemed hardly to have the strength to curl.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)