If something flicks in a particular direction, or if someone flicks it, it moves with a short, sudden movement.

If you flick something away, or off something else, you remove it with a quick movement of your hand or finger.

If you flick something such as a whip or a towel, or flick something with it, you hold one end of it and move your hand quickly up and then forward, so that the other end moves.

If you flick a switch, or flick an electrical appliance on or off, you press the switch sharply so that it moves into a different position and works the equipment.

If you flick through a book or magazine, you turn its pages quickly, for example to get a general idea of its contents or to look for a particular item. If you flick through television channels, you continually change channels very quickly, for example using a remote control.