Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - kick

~1 v 1 »HIT WITH YOUR FOOT« to hit something with your foot  (She kicked me under the table. | Joe, stop kicking! | kick sth down/over etc)  (The police kicked the door down. | kick sth around/towards etc)  (Billy was kicking a ball around the yard. | kick sb in the head/face/stomach etc)  (I got kicked in the face playing rugby.) 2 »MOVE YOUR LEGS« to move your legs as if you were kicking something  (The cow may kick a bit when you milk her. | kick your legs)  (They danced and sang and kicked their legs high in the air.) 3 »KICK A GOAL« to score2 (1) by kicking  (kick a goal)  (He kicked two penalty goals in the last ten minutes.) 4 kick a habit to stop doing something that is a harmful habit  (Some smokers find it surprisingly easy to kick the habit.) 5 be kicking yourself/will kick yourself/could have kicked yourself spoken used to say that someone is annoyed with themselves because they realize that they have made a mistake or missed a chance  (I could have kicked myself for getting her name wrong. | You'll kick yourself when I tell you the answer. | I bet they are kicking themselves now.) 6 kick sb when they are down to criticize or attack someone who is already in a weak position or having difficulties  (The newspapers cannot resist kicking a man when he is down.) 7 kick sb in the teeth informal to disappoint or discourage someone very much, especially when they need support or hope  (Why is it that whenever I ask you for help you kick me in the teeth?) 8 kick (sb's) ass AmE slang a) to punish or defeat someone  (We really kicked their ass today, didn't we?) b) to have fun in a noisy violent way  (Come on, let's kick some ass!) 9 kick over the traces BrE to free yourself from control and start to behave as if there are no moral restrictions  (Haven't you ever felt you must go out and kick over the traces?) 10 kick sb upstairs to move someone to a job that seems to be more important than their present one but actually means that they have less influence 11 kick your heels to waste time waiting for something  (We were sitting around kicking our heels for half the day.) 12 kick the bucket humorous informal to die kick about/around phr v 1 be kicking about/around (sth) a) to be lying somewhere untidily, especially when forgotten  (You should find a copy of the report kicking around somewhere. | Goodness knows how many bottles he has kicking about his flat.) b) to be travelling around a place with no fixed plan  (He's been kicking around Australia for eight months.) 2 kick sb about/around to discuss an idea with a group of people in order to decide whether it is good or not  (Perhaps we could kick one or two of these ideas around for a while.) 3 kick sb about/around to treat someone badly and unfairly  (She was tired of being kicked around by her boss.) kick (out) against phr v to react strongly against something  (She has kicked out against authority all her life.) kick in phr v 1 informal to begin to have an effect or come into operation  (I could feel the painkillers kick in. | Other benefits kick in at a certain level of income.) 2 AmE to join with others in giving money or help; contribute  (He doesn't really want to kick in and help. | We're going to buy Bob a present - do you want to kick in something?) 3 kick sb's face/sb's head in to severely wound someone by kicking them  (He threatened to kick my head in.) 4 to kick a door so hard that it breaks open  (We had to get the police to kick the door in.) kick off phr v 1 when a game of football kicks off, it starts  (The match kicks off at 3 o'clock.) 2 if you kick off a meeting, event etc, or if it kicks off, it starts  (The meeting kicked off at 11.00. | Right, who would like to kick off? | kick sth off (with))  (I'm going to kick off today's proceedings with a few remarks about next year's budget.) 3 kick your shoes off to remove your shoes by shaking them off your feet  (I slumped into the armchair and kicked off my shoes.) kick sb out phr v to make someone leave or dismiss them  (Bernard's wife had kicked him out.) + of  (He's been kicked out of the golf club.) kick up sth phr v 1 kick up a fuss/row to loudly complain and show you are annoyed about something  (He was kicking up an awful fuss about his coldmeal.) 2 to make something, especially dust, go up into the air while you are walking  (As they marched, the soldiers kicked up clouds of dust.) ~2 n 1 an act of hitting something with your foot  (Brazil scored with the last kick of the match. | give sb/sth a good kick (=to kick them hard))  (If the outer door won't open just give it a good kick.) 2 an opportunity, allowed by the referee, for one team in a game of football or rugby to kick the ball without being stopped by the other team  (a free kick | take a kick)  (Pearce came forward to take the kick.) 3 a kick up the arse/backside etc informal severe criticism or punishment for something you have done wrong  (Phil needs a good kick up the arse.) 4 be a kick in the teeth informal to be very disappointing or discouraging, especially when you need support or hope  (Her refusal to see me was a real kick in the teeth.) 5 get a kick out of sth/get a kick from sth to really enjoy doing something  (Alan gets a real kick out of his job.) 6 give sb a kick to give someone a strong feeling of pleasure  (It gives her a kick to get you into trouble.) 7 do sth for kicks/get your kicks from sth informal to do something, especially something dangerous or harmful, in order to get a feeling of excitement  (Apparently she steals from supermarkets just for kicks.) 8 have a kick (to it) informal to have a strong effect or taste, especially alcohol 9 be on a health/decorating/Italian food etc kick informal to have a strong new interest  (I'm on a health kick at the moment.)