salt-lick
Definition
Noun: - A salt-lick is a natural deposit of salt or a man-made block of salt provided for animals (especially wild or domestic herbivores) to lick in order to obtain essential minerals.
Usage Examples
- (A natural or artificial salt source for wildlife.)
- (A block of salt provided for livestock.)
Advanced Usage
"to visit a salt-lick": to go to a place where salt is available for licking.
- During the dry season, many animals travel miles to visit a salt-lick. (They journey to obtain salt.)
"salt-lick as a hunting tool": hunters sometimes use salt-licks to attract game animals.
- The hunter set up a camera near the salt-lick to observe wildlife. (The salt-lick served as a lure.)
Variants and Related Words
Salt lick (n): a synonym for salt-lick, often written as two words.
- The park ranger maintains a salt lick for the bison. (A salt supply for animals.)
Mineral lick (n): a broader term for any natural or artificial source of minerals that animals lick, not limited to salt.
- The mineral lick contains calcium and phosphorus in addition to salt. (A multi-mineral supplement for animals.)
Synonyms
- Lick: a place where animals lick salt or minerals (often used in the context of "salt lick").
- Mineral block: a manufactured block of minerals, including salt, for livestock.
Related Idioms
- There are no common idioms directly related to "salt-lick." However, the concept of a "lick" appears in the idiom "a lick and a promise" (a hasty or superficial effort), which is unrelated to salt-licks.