a. Forms: 5 liccoris, 6 licoryce, likerishe, -yshe, 6–7 licourish, 7 liccorish, li(c)korish, liquerish, liquourish, licquo(u)rish, 8 likerish, 6–9 lickerish, licorish, liquorish. [Altered form of LICKEROUS, with substitution of suffix -ISH for -ous.]
† 1. Pleasant to the palate; gen. sweet, tempting, attractive; = LICKEROUS 1. Of a cook: Skilful in preparing dainties. Obs.
1579–80. North, Plutarch (1595), 50. The deuises of lickerish cookes.
1607. Shaks., Timon, IV. iii. 194. With Licourish draughts And Morsels Vnctious.
1615. trans. De Monfart’s Surv. E. Indies, 20. There is another very licquorish fruit.
1634. Milton, Comus, 700. And wouldst thou seek again to trap me here With lickerish baits fit to ensnare a brute?
1653. A. Wilson, Jas. I., 37. He [Bacon] was one of those that smoothed his way to a full ripeness by liquorish and pleasing passages.
1728. Tickell, Horn Bk., 18. Or if to Ginger Bread thou shalt descend, And Liquorish Learning to thy Babes extend.
2. Of persons, etc.: Fond of delicious fare; = LICKEROUS 2. Const. after, of.
a. 1500[?]. Chester Pl., II. 199. And of that tree of Paradise she shall eate through my coyntice; For women are full liccoris [v.r. licorous].
1553. T. Wilson, Rhet., 66. Likeryshe of tongue, lighte of taile.
1561. Awdelay, Frat. Vacab., 13. This is a licoryce knaue that will swill his Maisters drink.
a. 1632. T. Taylor, God’s Judgem., vii. II. (1642), 102. Yet was he lickerish also after any … rarity that was sent into his Table.
1664. Evelyn, Sylva, 42. Cattel being excessively licorish of their leaves and tender buds.
1690. Locke, Govt., I. vi. § 57 (1694), 55. They were so liquorish after Mans Flesh, that [etc.].
1719. London & Wise, Compl. Gard., 283. Green Peas are ready to satisfie the longing Appetite of the likerish Palate.
1802. G. Colman, Br. Grins, Knight & Friar, I. lx. A liquorish black rat Lured by the cook to sniff and smell her bacon.
1828. Southey, in Q. Rev., XXXVIII. 201. The holy man … had a licorish tooth.
1879. W. E. Heitland, Q. Curtius, Introd. 29. He [Alexander] drank sparingly and rather by way of good-fellowship than from a liquorish appetite.
b. gen. and fig. Eagerly desirous, longing, greedy; = LICKEROUS 2 b.
1579. Tomson, Calvin’s Serm. Tim., 384/1. The people … must not bee so lickerish to desire vnprofitable thinges.
1627. J. Carter, Expos., 3. This propertie every one is most liquorish of, taking after their great grand-mother Eve.
a. 1639. Wotton, Life Dk. Buckhm., in Reliq. (1651), 99. Certain rare Manuscripts … were upon sale to the Jesuits at Antwerp, licourish Chapmen of such Ware.
1658. Osborn, Adv. Son (1673), 77. Be not therefore licorish after Fame.
1704. Swift, T. Tub, Wks. 1760, I. 60. Their own liquorish affection to gold.
1834. Bentham, Deontol., in Westm. Rev., XXI. 9. He might have a lickerish leaning towards the trade of Cacus.
1873. H. Rogers, Orig. Bible (1875), 11. Jewish human nature … showed so intense a sympathy with the general tendency to idolatry, as to cast a liquorish eye on every wandering form of it that came near them.
3. Lecherous, lustful; = LICKEROUS 3.
1600. Heywood, 1st Pt. Edw. IV., Wks. 1874, I. 51. Go to, Nell … ye may be caught, I tell ye: these be liquorish lads.
1700. Dryden, Wife of Bath, 319. The liquorish hag rejects the pelf with scorn.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, V. xii. Thou art a liquorish dog.
1828. Lamb, Wife’s Trial. The lickerish culprit, almost dead with fear.
1881. Swinburne, in Fortn. Rev., Feb., 133. The smirk of a liquorish fribble.
4. Comb., as lickerish-lipped adj.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 154. Let euery young man be … not licorish lipped, nor dainty toothed.
Hence Lickerishly adv.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies, I. (1662), 116. His expression licking the Chancery hath left Posterity to interpret it … liquorishly longing for that Place.
