kick

Etymology 1

From Middle English kyken (“to strike out with the foot”), from Old Norse kikna (“to sink at the knees”) and keikja (“to bend backwards”) (compare Old Norse keikr (“bent backwards, the belly jutting forward”)), from Proto-Germanic *kaikaz (“bent backwards”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Proto-Germanic *kī-, *kij- (“to split, dodge, swerve sidewards”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵeyH- (“to sprout, shoot”). Compare also Dutch kijken (“to look”), Middle Low German kīken (“to look, watch”). See keek.

verb

1. (transitive) To strike or hit with the foot or other extremity of the leg.
   Did you kick your brother?
   1895, George MacDonald, Lilith, Chapter XII: Friends and Foes, I was cuffed by the women and kicked by the men because I would not swallow it.
   A punt is made by letting the ball drop from the hands and kicking it just before it touches the ground. 1905, Fielding H. Yost, chapter 6, in Football for Player and Spectator
   Will Henderson, who had on a light overcoat and no overshoes, kicked the heel of his left foot with the toe of the right. 1919, Sherwood Anderson, “The Teacher: concerning Kate Swift”, in Winesburg, Ohio
   Or to put it in the more colourful language of our Prime Minister: "The secret to improving rail transport, in my view, is you need to find the right arse to kick." Unfortunately, since the abolition of the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) in 2005, the DfT has ostensibly been in direct control of railway policy setting, and this has meant that the only arse the government has been able to kick is its own. September 9 2020, Jason Chamberlain, “The growing likelihood of a 'different type of railway'”, in Rail, page 45
2. (intransitive) To make a sharp jerking movement of the leg, as to strike something.
   He enjoyed the simple pleasure of watching the kickline kick.
   1904, Stratemeyer Syndicate, The Bobbsey Twins, Chapter II: Rope Jumping, and What Followed, "If you did that, I'd kick," answered Freddie, and began to kick real hard into the air.
3. (transitive) To direct to a particular place by a blow with the foot or leg.
   Kick the ball into the goal.
   Sometimes he can kick the ball forward along the ground until it is kicked in goal, where he can fall on it for a touchdown. 1905, Fielding H. Yost, chapter 7, in Football for Player and Spectator
4. (with "off" or "out") To eject summarily.
   "He's been mad at me ever since I fired him off'n my payroll. After I kicked him off'n my ranch he run for sheriff, and the night of the election everybody was so drunk they voted for him by mistake, or for a joke, or somethin', and since he's been in office he's been lettin' the sheepmen steal me right out of house and home." 1936 October, Robert E. Howard, “The Conquerin' Hero of the Humbolts”, in Action Stories
   They are the ones who give hobbyists a bad name, and should be kicked out of any club meeting they show up at. February 3 1976, Bill Gates, An Open Letter to Hobbyists
   Dial 1-900-Mix-a-Lot and kick them nasty thoughts. 1992, “Baby Got Back”, in Sir Mix-a-Lot (lyrics), Rick Rubin and Sir Mix-a-Lot (music), Mack Daddy, Def American Recordings
5. (intransitive, Internet) To forcibly remove a participant from an online activity.
   He was kicked from the IRC server for flooding.
6. (transitive, slang) To overcome (a bothersome or difficult issue or obstacle); to free oneself of (a problem).
   I still smoke, but they keep telling me to kick the habit.
7. To move or push suddenly and violently.
   He was kicked sideways by the force of the blast.
   The back of the car kicked out violently, forcing me to steer into the slide and accelerate in order to maintain control. 2011, Tom Andry, Bob Moore: No Hero
8. (of a firearm) To recoil; to push by recoiling.
   Lying on the ground, when fired, it kicked me back a foot. There was no way a person my size was going to be able to do an effective job with this gun. 2003, Jennifer C. D. Groomes, The Falcon Project, page 174
   I asked my sister Jeanette if she wanted to shoot the 12 ga. shotgun. She replied, "does it kick"? 2006, Daniel D. Scherschel, Maple Grove, page 81
9. (chess, transitive) To attack (a piece) in order to force it to move.
10. (intransitive, cycling) To accelerate quickly with a few pedal strokes in an effort to break away from other riders.
    Contador kicks again to try to rid himself of Rasmussen.
11. (intransitive) To show opposition or resistance.
12. (printing, historical) To work a press by impact of the foot on a treadle.
13. (computing, transitive) To reset (a watchdog timer).
    In the meantime, it is possible for the embedded software to “kick” the watchdog timer, to reset its counter to the original large number. 1999, Michael Barr, Programming Embedded Systems in C and C++, page 98
    From now on the process has to periodically kick the watchdog timer in intervals shorter than the initialization interval. 2012, Tarek Sobh, Khaled Elleithy, Emerging Trends in Computing, Informatics, Systems Sciences, and Engineering, page 763
14. (reflexive, informal) To reproach oneself for making a mistake or missing an opportunity.
    He's still kicking himself for not investing three years ago.

noun

1. A hit or strike with the leg, foot or knee.
   A kick to the knee.
   Elsad Zverotic gave Montenegro hope with a goal with the last kick of the first half - and when Rooney was deservedly shown red by referee Wolfgang Stark, England were placed under pressure they could not survive. 2011, Phil McNulty, Euro 2012: Montenegro 2-2 England
2. The action of swinging a foot or leg.
   The ballerina did a high kick and a leap.
3. (colloquial) Something that tickles the fancy; something fun or amusing.
   I finally saw the show. What a kick!
   I think I sprained something on my latest exercise kick.
4. (Internet) The removal of a person from an online activity.
5. (figurative) Any bucking motion of an object that lacks legs or feet.
   The car had a nasty kick the whole way.
   The pool ball took a wild kick, up off the table.
6. (uncountable and countable) Piquancy.
   Add a little cascabel pepper to ordinary tomato sauce to give it a kick. 2002, Ellen and Michael Albertson, Temptations, Fireside, page 124 http://books.google.com/books?id=cITFVpz2ri8C&pg=PA124&dq=kick
   For extra kick, hollow out a lime, float it on top of the drink, and fill it with tequila. 2003, Sheree Bykofsky, Megan Buckley, Sexy City Cocktails, Adams Media, page 129
   The first time I saw "Deep Water," the trace of mystery in the Crowhurst affair gave the movie a kick of excitement. August 27 2007, Anthony Lane, “Lone Sailors”, in The New Yorker, volume 83, numbers 22-28
7. A stimulation provided by an intoxicating substance.
8. (soccer) A pass played by kicking with the foot.
9. (soccer) The distance traveled by kicking the ball.
   a long kick up the field.
10. The recoil of a gun.
11. (informal) A pocket.
    Her mind couldn’t lose sight of […]the bloodied nickel plated pistol Angie had in his kick. 1952, George Mandel, Flee the Angry Strangers, Bobs-Merrill, page 383
    Swell shows all of ‘em, except this last one. […] Set me back two-seventy-five, including tax, and I wish I’d got it in my kick right now. 2008, P.G.Wodehouse, The Adventures of Sally (Volume 2 of 2)+kick%22&pg=PA277&printsec=frontcover), ReadHowYouWant.com, page 277
    If you keep Nan’s advice you’ll keep it in your kick. 2008, Loren D. Estleman, Port Hazard:A Page Murdock Novel+kick%22&pg=PT88&printsec=frontcover), Tom Doherty Associates
    You take that and put it in your kick. I’ve had plenty of cash out of you already. 2012, Max Brand (Frederick Schiller Faust), Silvertip’s Trap, Adams Media
12. An increase in speed in the final part of a running race.
13. (film, television) Synonym of kicker (“backlight positioned at an angle”)
14. (Britain, historical, dated, colloquial) Sixpence.
    That's the stuff that will do the trick / Sold at every chemist for one and a kick 1941, Eddie Latta, George Formby (lyrics and music), “Auntie Maggie's Remedy”, performed by George Formby

Etymology 2

Shortening of kick the bucket.

verb

1. (intransitive) To die.
   Who knows what will happen to his billions when the eighty-five-year-old kicks, but before he leaves the planet, Moon reportedly is hell-bent on creating a holy land in North Korea, dedicated to him. 2005, Melissa L. Rossi, What every American should know about who's really running the world, page 211

Etymology 3

Shortening of kick ass

verb

1. (slang, intransitive) To be emphatically excellent.
   That band really kicks.