kick one's heels

To endure a period of inactivity

kick up one's heels

To gambol or frisk

lay by the heels

1. To fetter
2. To put in confinement

out at heel

1. Having one's heels showing through holes in the socks or stockings
2. Shabby

set by the heels same as lay by the heels (see above).

set (one) back on one's heels

To surprise, astonish one

show a clean pair of heels

To run off

take to one's heels

To flee

tread on someone's heels

To come crowding behind

trip up someone's heels

To trip up or overthrow someone

turn on (or upon) one's heel

To turn sharply round, to turn back or away

two for his heels

(in cribbage) a score for turning up the jack

under the heel

Crushed, ruled over tyrannically

walk to heel

(of a dog) to walk obediently at the heels of the person in charge of it, under control

kick /kik/

transitive verb

1. To hit with the foot
2. To put or drive by blows with the foot
3. To start or work by a foot on a pedal
4. To achieve by a kick or kicking
5. To free oneself from (eg a habit) (informal)

intransitive verb

1. To thrust out the foot with violence
2. To raise the leg high, eg in dancing
3. To show opposition or resistance
4. (of a gun, etc) to recoil or jerk violently
5. (of a ball, etc) to rear up unexpectedly
6. To move suddenly as if kicked
7. To put on an extra spurt of speed (athletics)
8. To be exposed to kicking, lie around (often with about)
9. To be full of vitality (usu in prp)

noun

1. A blow or fling with the foot
2. The recoil of a gun
3. An unexpected rearing up of a ball
4. Kicking power
5. Resistance
6. Resilience
7. An extra spurt of speed (athletics)
8. Stimulus, pungency (informal)
9. A thrill (informal)
10. An enthusiastic but short-lived interest
11. A phase of such interest
12. The fashion (archaic sl)
13. The depression in the bottom of a bottle
14. Dismissal (esp with the; slang)
15. Sixpence (obs sl)

kickˈable adjective

kickˈer noun

1. Someone who or something that kicks, eg a horse
2. (in some sports) a player whose function is to take (esp set-piece) kicks
3. An outboard motor (N American)
4. An unexpected, esp disadvantageous, turn of events (N American informal)
5. An unpaired card that determines which of two near-equivalent hands wins the pot (poker)

kickˈing adjective (slang)

1. Extremely lively and enjoyable
2. Excellent

noun (informal)

A violent attack (also figurative)

kickˈabout noun

An informal game of association football

kickˈ-ass adjective (informal, esp N American)

Aggressive or domineering, esp in management

kickˈback noun

1. Part of a sum received paid to another by confidential agreement for favours past or to come
2. Money paid in return for protection
3. Loose material thrown up from the track by a galloping horse (horse-racing)
4. A sudden recoil
5. A strong reaction

kickˈball noun

A game played by children, similar to baseball but using a much larger ball which is kicked not batted

kick boxer noun

kick boxing noun

A martial art in which the combatants kick with bare feet and punch with gloved fists

kickˈdown noun

A method of changing gear in a car with automatic gear transmission, by pressing the accelerator pedal right down

kickˈflip noun

In skateboarding and snowboarding, a jump into the air which causes the board to rotate before the jumper lands on it

intransitive verb

To perform a kickflip

kicking strap noun

1. A strap behind a draught horse's hindquarters to prevent kicking
2. A rope used on a yacht to prevent the boom from rising

kickˈ-off noun

1. The first kick in a game of football
2. The start of the game
3. The start of any activity (informal)

kick pleat noun

A pleat in a narrow skirt from knee-level to hem, which allows the wearer to walk easily

kickˈsorter noun (telecommunications)

A device that selects and counts electrical pulses of specified amplitudes

kickˈstand noun

A piece of metal attached to a motorcycle, etc, which is kicked into position to hold the machine upright when parked

kickˈ-start noun

The starting of an engine by a pedal

transitive verb

1. To start (an engine) thus
2. To get (something) moving, to give a sudden (advantageous) impulse to (figurative)

kick turn noun

A skiing or skateboarding turn through 180º

kickˈ-up noun

1. A disturbance
2. A dance
3. A depression in the bottom of a bottle

for a kick-off

For a start

for kicks

For thrills

kick about or around

1. To consider
2. To discuss
3. To treat harshly (informal)
4. (of a person) to wander around doing nothing in particular
5. (of an object) to lie about serving no useful purpose

kick arse or ass see under arse

kick back

1. (of a machine, esp a gun) to react strongly, to recoil
2. To relax (N American informal)
3. To pay as a kickback (informal)

kick in (informal)

1. To contribute, pay one's share
2. To take effect

kick in the pants (informal)

A sharp telling-off intended to make the recipient put in more effort

kick in the teeth (informal)

A mortifying rebuff

kick off

1. To start, esp a game of football
2. To open a discussion (informal)
3. To die (slang)

kick on (informal)

To continue with an activity, esp with renewed vigour

kick oneself (informal)

To regret something one has done or has failed to do

kick one's heels see under heel¹

kick out (informal)

1. To eject with force
2. To dismiss

kick over the traces

To throw off control

kick or strike the beam

To be of little weight or importance (figurative from the lighter scale in a balance rising so as to strike against the beam)

kick the bucket see under bucket

kick up a dust, fuss, row or stink

To create a disturbance

kick up one's heels see under heel¹

kick upstairs (informal)

To promote (usu to a less active or less powerful position)