English

lick clean

From lick + clean.

A compound of lick + clean

Proto-Indo-European *leyǵʰ- ‘to lick’

Proto-Germanic *likkōną ‘to lick’

Proto-West Germanic *likkōn ‘to lick’

Old English liccian ‘to lick’

Middle English likken ‘to lick’

English lick

Proto-West Germanic *klainī ‘dainty’

Old English clāne ‘clean’

Middle English clene

English clean

Today it means

verb To empty (something) by eating its contents.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / lick clean