noun
The act by which something is licked.
A severe beating.
A great loss or defeat.
Our football team took a licking last night.
ADJ.
injured, last
The injured dog was licking its paw gently after the accident.
VERB + LICKING
am, know, like, loves, smokes, started, took, tried
The dog loves licking my face every time I come home from work.
LICKING + NOUN
ashtray, ball, candle, cat's, cream, ears, feet, fingers
The cat's ears were twitching as the kitten kept licking them playfully.
PREP.
off, up
The dog was licking up the spilled milk from the kitchen floor.
ADV.
ever
The dog was licking his bowl clean like he hadn't ever eaten before.
To be tough; to have endurance; to have the capacity to absorb stress or damage, but still be able to function.
How am I supposed to knock these other guys off. My wild card is nothing but defensive. I take a licking and keep on ticking. Big whoop.
Our football team took a licking last night.
WiktionaryThe cat was licking its paws.
Tatoeba · #282063The cat is licking the candle stand out of love for the candle.
Tatoeba · #662690Mary is licking an ice cream cone.
Tatoeba · #1487100Life is like licking honey off a cactus.
Tatoeba · #1617876The cat is licking itself.
Tatoeba · #1665747i Register
In some senses, licking is marked as informal. Watch for register when choosing this word.