cream and lick share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. cream means “make creamy by beating”. lick means “beat thoroughly and conclusively in a competition or fight”. cream is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈkɹim/
1.v.make creamy by beating
“Cream the butter”
2.v.beat thoroughly and conclusively in a competition or fight
“We licked the other team on Sunday!”
3.v.put on cream, as on one's face or body
“She creams her face every night”
/ˈlɪk/
1.v.beat thoroughly and conclusively in a competition or fight
“We licked the other team on Sunday!”
2.v.pass the tongue over
“the dog licked her hand”
3.v.find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of
“did you solve the problem?”
| cream | lick | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɹim/ | /ˈlɪk/ |
| Said | kreem | lik |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 5 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | verb, noun |
| Senses | 8 | 7 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | cream, bat, clobber |
Full entry for cream · Full entry for lick · More comparisons