I. flick 1 /flɪk/ BrE AmE verb
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Origin: From the sound of a light blow ]
1 . [transitive usually + adverb/preposition] to make something move away by hitting or pushing it suddenly or quickly, especially with your thumb and finger:
Papa flicked the ash from his cigar.
2 . [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition] to move with a sudden quick movement, or to make something move in this way
flick from/up/down
The cow’s tail flicked from side to side.
flick something up/down etc
Jackie flicked her long hair back.
3 . [transitive] to move a switch so that a machine or piece of electrical equipment starts or stops SYN flip :
I felt inside the doorway and flicked the light switch.
flick something on/off
Sandra flicked the TV on.
4 . flick a glance/look at somebody/something British English to look very quickly at someone or something:
Leith flicked a glance at her watch.
5 . [transitive] if you flick something such as a ↑ towel or rope, you move it so that the end moves quickly away from you:
The old man flicked his whip and the horses moved off.
flick through something phrasal verb
to look at a book, magazine, set of photographs etc quickly:
Will flicked through Carla’s photo album.
II. flick 2 BrE AmE noun
[ Sense 1-2, 5: Date: 1400-1500 ; Origin: ⇨ ↑ flick 1 ]
[ Sense 3-4: Date: 1900-2000 ; Origin: ⇨ ↑ flicker 1 ; because of the appearance of early movies. ]
1 . [countable] a short quick sudden movement or hit with a part of your body, whip etc:
With a flick of the wrist, Frye sent the ball into the opposite court.
2 . the flick of a switch used to emphasize how easy it is to start a machine and use it:
I can shut off all the power in the building at the flick of a switch.
3 . [countable usually singular] especially American English a film:
an action flick
4 . the flicks British English old-fashioned the cinema
5 . have a flick through something British English to look at a book, magazine, set of pictures etc very quickly:
I had a quick flick through your report.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ film especially British English , movie especially American English a series of images that tell a story and are shown in a cinema or on television:
What’s your favourite movie?
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It won the award for best foreign film.
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a made-for-TV movie
▪ motion picture formal ( also picture ) a film – used especially by people who make films or by critics:
a major Hollywood motion picture
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Tell us about your latest picture.
▪ blockbuster informal a very successful film:
Steven Spielberg’s latest Hollywood blockbuster
▪ flick informal a film – a very informal use:
an action flick
▪ documentary a film that gives detailed information and facts about a particular subject:
a documentary on the rain forest
▪ feature film a film made to be shown in cinemas:
The book was later made into a full-length feature film starring Sean Penn.
▪ comedy a film intended to make people laugh:
Monroe appeared in a number of comedies.
▪ romantic comedy ( also romcom British English informal ) a film about two people who are in love, which is intended to make the people who watch it feel happy:
‘Notting Hill’ is a romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant.
▪ thriller an exciting film, especially about murder or serious crimes:
‘The Birds’ is a classic Hitchcock thriller.
▪ film noir a film that shows strong feelings of fear or evil and whose characters are often immoral, or these films in general:
‘The Big Sleep’ is a classic Hollywood film noir.
▪ action film/movie a film that has lots of fighting, explosions etc:
Stallone’s latest action movie
▪ horror film/movie a frightening film about ghosts, murders etc:
She loves watching old horror movies.
▪ western a film with cowboys in it:
John Wayne is famous for making westerns.
▪ science fiction film/movie ( also sci-fi film/movie informal ) a film about imaginary events in the future or in outer space:
‘2001’ is probably the most famous sci-fi movie ever made.
▪ gangster film/movie a film about violent criminals
▪ silent film/movie an old film without any sound:
The 1920s were the golden age of silent movies.
▪ an independent film/movie a film made by a small film company
▪ animated film/movie/cartoon a film with characters that are drawn or made using a computer:
One of his first animated films was ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’.
▪ anime /ˈænɪmeɪ, -mə/ a type of Japanese animated film, which often has a science fiction story:
Miyazaki’s anime film ‘Spirited Away’ became an international success.
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an anime character
▪ CGI the use of computers to create characters and images in a film:
The film uses CGI.
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Disney’s latest CGI movie
▪ short a short film, usually shown before a longer movie in the cinema:
an animated short
▪ trailer a series of short scenes from a film or programme, shown in order to advertise it in a cinema, on television etc:
We had to sit through all the trailers.