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bite
[bahyt]
verb (used with object)
to cut, wound, or tear with the teeth.
She bit the apple greedily. The lion bit his trainer.
to grip or hold with the teeth.
Stop biting your lip!
to sting, as does an insect.
to cause to smart or sting.
an icy wind that bit our faces.
to sever with the teeth (often followed byoff ).
Don't bite your nails. The child bit off a large piece of the candy bar.
to start to eat (often followed byinto ).
She bit into her steak.
to clamp the teeth firmly on or around (often followed byon ).
He bit hard on the stick while they removed the bullet from his leg.
Informal.
to eat into or corrode, as does an acid.
to cut or pierce with, or as with, a weapon.
The sword split his helmet and bit him fatally.
Etching., to etch with acid (a copper or other surface) in such parts as are left bare of a protective coating.
to take firm hold or act effectively on.
We need a clamp to bite the wood while the glue dries.
Archaic., to make a decided impression on; affect.
verb (used without object)
to press the teeth into something; attack with the jaws, bill, sting, etc.; snap.
Does your parrot bite?
Angling., (of fish) to take bait.
The fish aren't biting today.
to accept an offer or suggestion, especially one intended to trick or deceive.
I knew it was a mistake, but I bit anyway.
Informal., to admit defeat in guessing.
I'll bite, who is it?
to act effectively; grip; hold.
This wood is so dry the screws don't bite.
Slang., to be notably repellent, disappointing, poor, etc.; suck.
noun
an act of biting.
a wound made by biting.
a deep bite.
a cutting, stinging, or nipping effect.
the bite of an icy wind; the bite of whiskey on the tongue.
a piece bitten off.
Chew each bite carefully.
a small meal.
Let's have a bite before the theater.
a portion severed from the whole.
the government's weekly bite of my paycheck.
a morsel of food.
not a bite to eat.
the occlusion of one's teeth.
The dentist said I had a good bite.
Machinery.
the catch or hold that one object or one part of a mechanical apparatus has on another.
a surface brought into contact to obtain a hold or grip, as in a lathe chuck or similar device.
the amount of material that a mechanical shovel or the like can carry at one time.
sharpness; incisiveness; effectiveness.
The bite of his story is spoiled by his slovenly style.
the roughness of the surface of a file.
Metalworking., the maximum angle, measured from the center of a roll in a rolling mill, between a perpendicular and a line to the point of contact where a given object to be rolled will enter between the rolls.
bite
/ baɪt /
verb
to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws
(of animals, insects, etc) to injure by puncturing or tearing (the skin or flesh) with the teeth, fangs, etc, esp as a natural characteristic
(tr) to cut or penetrate, as with a knife
(of corrosive material such as acid) to eat away or into
to smart or cause to smart; sting
mustard bites the tongue
(intr) angling (of a fish) to take or attempt to take the bait or lure
to take firm hold of or act effectively upon
to grip or hold (a workpiece) with a tool or chuck
(of a screw, thread, etc) to cut into or grip (an object, material, etc)
informal, (tr) to annoy or worry
what's biting her?
slang, (often passive) to cheat
slang, to ask (for); scrounge from
informal, to attempt a task beyond one's capability
to face up to (pain, trouble, etc) with fortitude; be stoical
to respond harshly and rudely (to)
See dust
to repay kindness with injury or ingratitude
after an unpleasant experience one is cautious in similar situations
slang, to ask someone for money
noun
the act of biting
a thing or amount bitten off
a wound, bruise, or sting inflicted by biting
angling an attempt by a fish to take the bait or lure
informal, an incisive or penetrating effect or quality
that's a question with a bite
a light meal; snack
a cutting, stinging, or smarting sensation
the depth of cut of a machine tool
the grip or hold applied by a tool or chuck to a workpiece
dentistry the angle or manner of contact between the upper and lower teeth when the mouth is closed naturally
the surface of a file or rasp with cutting teeth
the corrosive action of acid, as on a metal etching plate
Other Word Forms
- biter noun
- bitable adjective
- biteable adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of bite1
Word History and Origins
Origin of bite1
Idioms and Phrases
put the bite on,
to solicit or attempt to borrow money or something of value from.
to press for money, as in extortion.
They found out about his prison record and began to put the bite on him.
bite the hand that feeds one, to repay kindness with malice or injury.
When he berates his boss, he is biting the hand that feeds him.
bite the bullet. bullet.
bite the dust. dust.
bite / snap someone's head off, to respond with anger or impatience to someone's question or comment.
He'll bite your head off if you ask for anything.
bite off more than one can chew, to attempt something that exceeds one's capacity.
In trying to build a house by himself, he bit off more than he could chew.
More idioms and phrases containing bite
- bark is worse than one's bite
- bitten
- put the bite on
- sound bite
Example Sentences
A man has died on a Sydney beach after being bitten by a suspected "large shark", Australia's New South Wales police have said.
He also served bans for three separate biting incidents when playing for Ajax, Liverpool and Uruguay.
Cummins has photographed the band for three decades, and always admired how Oasis fans identified with their working-class insouciance and biting humor.
And the question is more: Is he biting off way more than he can chew and his staff can chew?
The show’s been in our head for six years; it was always like, Season 2 was once bitten, twice shy, especially if you’re Wednesday Addams — or once bitten, twice stabbed.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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