lick up
Lap it up
To lick up is to consume something by licking—a cat licks up spilled milk, a dog licks up crumbs from the floor.
The phrase suggests thorough consumption of liquid or small particles from a surface.
Figuratively, flames lick up fuel as they consume it: Fire licked up the dry brush.
- lapOne complete circuit
- tongueOral muscle for taste
- absorbTake in fully
- devourEat greedily and fast
- consumeTake in fully
savor · soak in · taste · relish · mouth · ingest · indulge · swipe · clean · eager · greedy · drink in · bowl · thirsty · puddle · milk · spill · gobble
direction of consumption/removal
lick upspit out
Eject from the mouth
drool · spit up · regurgitate · disgorge · vomit
action vs. inaction with spilled substance
lick upleave
Sanctioned time away
ignore · avoid · let lie · leave alone · walk away from