to lick one's lips
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To give evident signs of the enjoyment of anticipation.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to lick one's lips” mean?
To give evident signs of the enjoyment of anticipation.
Is “to lick one's lips” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.