I. ˈbīt, usu -d.+V verb
( bit ˈbit, usu -d.+V ; or dialect British bate ˈbāt ; or bote ˈbōt ; bitten ˈbit ə n ; or nonstandard bit ; biting ; bites )
Etymology: Middle English biten, from Old English bītan; akin to Old High German bīzan to bite, Old Norse bīta, Gothic beitan to bite, Latin findere to split, Sanskrit bhedati he splits
transitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to seize with the teeth so that they enter, grip, or wound
the dogs bit the child savagely
(2) : to remove (as part of something) with the teeth
a piece was bitten from the apple
: sever by biting
she bit the thread in two
b. : to seize, pinch, or sever with the jaws (as of a snapping turtle) or with a jawlike organ (as the claw of a lobster)
c. : sting:
(1) : to pierce with any of certain sharp-pointed buccal organs (as the proboscis of a mosquito or the fangs of a snake)
(2) : to pierce with any of certain other pointed organs not associated with the mouth (as the stinger of a bee) — not used technically
2. : cut , pierce — used of edged weapons or their wielders
the sword cleft his armor and bit him to the bone
3. obsolete : eat , nibble , chew : graze
4. : to cause sharp pain or stinging discomfort to
the wind howling, the sleet biting our necks
5.
a. : to take hold of : hold fast
the scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work
b. : to act like teeth or jaws in removing (part of something)
the giant shovels bit 5-yard chunks from the hill
c. : affect profoundly : impress
6. : to eat into : corrode
acid bites an etcher's plate
sometimes : to etch with acid
he bit and printed his lithographs — Margery Allingham
7.
a. : to cheat, trick, or take in ; especially : to borrow with little intention of repaying
he bit me for a fiver
b. : to catch as with teeth by a sudden turn of events — usually used in passive
he was badly bitten on the market
8. slang : perturb , worry , distress
well, what's biting him today
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to seize something with the teeth or jaws : wound with the teeth : pierce or sting especially with proboscis or fang
the mosquitoes bit fiercely all evening long
b. : to have the habit of so doing
does that dog bite
2. of a weapon or tool : to cut, pierce, or take hold — used especially with reference to power or quality
this saw bites well
3. : to cause an irritation or smarting
his words bit deeply into our spirit
: be pungent
the sauce is a bit too sharp, it really bites
4. : snap , snarl , carp — usually used with at
why are you always biting and bickering at one another
5. of a chemical : penetrate
few dyes will bite until the wool has been boiled with some mordant — Karis E. Legge
specifically : corrode , eat
if the acid fails to bite well, the fault may be with the metal of the etcher's plate
6. : to produce an impression : have an effect
such thoughts bite
7.
a. of fish : to take a bait
b. chiefly slang : to respond so as to be caught by something (as a trick or deceit) used as bait
8. : to take or maintain a firm hold
be sure the anchor bites well
9. printing : to cause a bite
10. : to grip the surface of the ground momentarily especially so as to rebound in a manner influenced by a previously imparted spin — used of a bowled ball in cricket
•
- bite one's lip
- bite the dust
- bite the hand that feeds one
- bite the thumb at
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from biten, v.
1.
a. : the act of seizing with the teeth or mouth or of bringing the teeth together as in seizing
b. : the act of wounding or separating with the teeth or mouth
c. : a seizure (as of a bait) with the teeth or mouth
d. : the act (as of some insects) of puncturing or abrading with the mouth parts
2. : food , victuals:
a. : the amount of food taken at a bite : morsel
I couldn't eat another bite
b. : a small amount of food : snack
we had just a bite at tea
c. : a meal especially if impromptu
why not have a bite of dinner now and finish the work later
d. : herbage for grazing
3. : an unintended blank area on a printed sheet caused by the accidental covering (as by foreign matter) of part of the inked surface during printing
4. archaic : cheat , trick ; also : sharper , cheater
5. : a wound made by biting
the bite became infected
6. : the hold or grip by which friction is created or purchase obtained (as the hold of the short end of a lever upon the thing to be lifted or of one part of a machine upon another)
7. : a surface that creates friction or is brought into contact with another for the purpose of obtaining a hold ; specifically : the holding surfaces of the jaws of a chuck
8. : the keen incisive quality or the smart, tang, or penetrating effect of a sharply impinging sensation
the bite of raw whiskey
the bite of his words was sharp
the bite of wind on our cheeks
9. : the corroding of an etcher's plate by acid ; also : a period during which the plate is exposed to the action of the acid
10. : the distance between the point and the bottom of the bend of a fishhook
11. : an amount (as of money) taken usually in one operation for one purpose : cut , slice , shave
the tax bite
a 10 percent bite for his manager
III. verb
•
- bite the bullet
IV. noun
1. : sound bite herein
a 10-second news bite
answers questions in quick bites — Monica Collins
2. : a brief catchy presentation that is usually one of a series
information bites
video bites