Idioms for lick
Origin of lick
before 1000; Middle English; Old English
liccian, cognate with Old Saxon
liccōn, Old High German
leckōn; akin to Go
bilaigon, Latin
lingere, Greek
leíchein to lick (up)
OTHER WORDS FROM lick
lick·er, nounWords nearby lick
British Dictionary definitions for lick into shape
lick
/ (lɪk) /
verb
noun
Derived forms of lick
licker, nounWord Origin for lick
Old English
liccian; related to Old High German
leckon, Latin
lingere, Greek
leikhein
Idioms and Phrases with lick into shape
lick into shape
Also, whip into shape. Bring into satisfactory condition or appearance, as in The garden looks neglected, but Dad will soon lick it into shape, or We need at least three more practices before the team is whipped into shape. The expression using lick, which some think alludes to how bears treat their cubs, dates from about 1600. The variant alludes to the forceful use of a whip to accomplish something.