licking clean
Tongue-polishing a surface
To lick clean is to use the tongue to remove every trace of food from a surface—a plate, a bowl, fingers.
The phrase emphasizes thoroughness: The dog licked the bowl clean.
Children lick clean the beaters after mixing cake batter.
The image suggests eager consumption down to the last bit.
- groomingSelf-care for appearance
- tastingSampling for flavor
- spotlessCompletely free of marks
- savoringEnjoying something slowly
- lappingFine abrasive finishing process
slurping · bone dry · devoured · polished · immaculate · sampling · thorough · rinsing · shining · pristine · spick and span · meticulous · buffing · vacuuming · touching · dusting · feeling · wolfed
licking cleandirtying
Making unclean
soiling · contaminating · smearing · befouling · sullying
licking cleanscrubbing
Cleaning by rubbing hard
wiping · scouring · hosing down · power washing · mopping
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