licking off, in cpd. hatthāpalekhana “hand-licking” (i.e. licking one’s hand after a meal, the practice of certain ascetics) MN.i.77 (with variant reading hatthâvalekhana MN.i.535; Trenckner compares BSk. hastapralehaka Lal.312 & hastâvalehaka Lal.323), MN.i.412; Pp.55 (expl^d. at Pp-a.231 as hatthe piṇḍamhe niṭṭhite jivhāya hatthaṃ apalekhati).

apa + lekhana from likh in meaning of lih, corresponding to Sk. ava-lehana