What does "flick" mean?

1. (to move quickly) to move something with a short, quick motion, often using your fingers or wrist. 2. (to look through quickly) to look through a book, magazine, or website very fast without reading everything. 3. (a quick motion) a sudden, light movement. 4. (a movie) an informal word for a movie or film.

How do you use "flick"?

Often used with 'at' or 'off'. Usually followed by the preposition 'through'.

flick

v. · n.

US //ˈfɫɪk// UK //flˈɪk// flick

1 to move quickly (v.)
B1 Intermediate

to move something with a short, quick motion, often using your fingers or wrist.

to propel or move something with a sudden, light stroke or impulse, typically involving the fingers or a flexible object.

Example

He had to flick the switch several times before the light finally came on.

Example

She absentmindedly flicked a speck of dust off her sleeve while waiting for the interview to begin.

Usage

Often used with 'at' or 'off'.
- flip
- snap
- tap
2 to look through quickly (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to look through a book, magazine, or website very fast without reading everything.

to turn pages or navigate digital content rapidly and cursorily.

Example

I like to flick through a magazine while I wait for my hair appointment.

Example

He spent the afternoon flicking through old photo albums, searching for a specific picture of his grandfather.

Usage

Usually followed by the preposition 'through'.
- study
- peruse

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3 a quick motion (n.)
B1 Intermediate

a sudden, light movement.

a light, rapid movement or stroke, often executed with the wrist or a finger.

Example

With a quick flick of her wrist, she threw the ball to the dog.

Example

The horse gave a sharp flick of its tail to drive away the persistent flies.
4 a movie (n.)
B1 Intermediate Informal Theatre

an informal word for a movie or film.

a motion picture. Often used in the plural with 'the' to refer to the cinema as an institution or destination.

Example

Do you want to go see a flick at the mall tonight?

Example

The critics dismissed the blockbuster as a mindless action flick, despite its record-breaking performance at the box office.

Teacher's tip

While 'flick' is common in casual speech, 'movie' or 'film' is preferred in any professional or academic context.
- film
- movie
- motion picture

Origin

From Middle English flykke (“light blow or stroke”). Later uses apparently interpreted as a back-formation from flicker. The use of flick to mean a film or movie derives from the fact that early films had a low frame rate, thus causing the film to "flick" rapidly when projected onto a screen.