bite

[ bahyt ]

/ baɪt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: bite / biting / bitten / bit on Thesaurus.com

Definition of bite

verb (used with object), bit, bit·ten or bit, bit·ing.

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 by off): Don't bite your nails. The child bit off a large piece of the candy bar.

to start to eat (often followed by into): She bit into her steak.

to clamp the teeth firmly on or around (often followed by on): He bit hard on the stick while they removed the bullet from his leg.

Informal.

to take advantage of; cheat; deceive: I got bitten in a mail-order swindle.
to annoy or upset; anger: What's biting you, sorehead?

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), bit, bit·ten or bit, bit·ing.

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR bite

1 gnaw, chew, nip.

22 mouthful, morsel, taste; scrap, crumb, dab.

23 snack, nosh.

See synonyms for bite on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about bite

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.

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 the bullet. bullet (def. 7).

bite the dust. dust (def. 21).

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.

put the bite on, Slang.

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.

Origin of bite

First recorded before 1000; Middle English biten, Old English bītan; cognate with Old High German bīzan (German beissen ), Gothic beitan, Old Norse bīta; akin to Latin findere “to split”

OTHER WORDS FROM bite

bit·a·ble, bite·a·ble, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bite

bight, bite , byte

Words nearby bite

bitchin', bitch session, bitch-slap, bitchy, bitcoin, bite, bite back, bite off more than one can chew, bite one's nails, bite one's tongue, biteplate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use bite in a sentence

If I’m looking at an enterprise size ecommerce site, I like to approach this in bite size pieces rather than tackling the entire site at the same time.
How search data can inform larger online business decisions|Sebastian Compagnucci|August 5, 2020|Search Engine Land
The discovery raises the possibility that caecilians may be the first amphibians found capable of delivering a venomous bite.
Bizarre caecilians may be the only amphibians with venomous bites|Christie Wilcox|July 3, 2020|Science News
Scientists waiting with forceps and a razor on a lab rooftop tried to mimic bee activity in real time, bite by bite, on comparison plants.
Bumblebees may bite leaves to spur plant blooming|Susan Milius|July 2, 2020|Science News For Students
Ancient relatives of today’s anchovies once had quite the bite.
Saber-toothed anchovy relatives were once fearsome hunters|Carolyn Wilke|June 11, 2020|Science News For Students

People really need to understand that they need to do something, do it regularly, and it’s okay to take it in small bites.
The Zero-Minute Workout (Ep. 383 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|January 2, 2020|Freakonomics
Leapolitan responded by saying, “hopefully youll [sic] bite into a poison apple.”
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem|David Levesley|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
One bite too many, and I could look down and practically see my thighs expanding before my eyes.
You’re Never ‘Cured’ of an Eating Disorder|Carrie Arnold|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Taking a bite out of it made me feel like I was at a family bris… in a good, nostalgic way.
I Ate Potato Pancakes Til I Plotzed|Emily Shire|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She has this little bit of a bite to her and a fight within her that does come through in little moments.
Exit Interview: The Walking Dead's Beth Tells All|Melissa Leon|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As soon as she took a bite of the apple, she fell to the ground and was dead.
In New Brothers Grimm 'Snow White', The Prince Doesn't Save Her|The Brothers Grimm|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Woe to the man that first did teach the cursed steel to bite in his own flesh, and make way to the living spirit.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
But if people will insist on patting a strange poet, they mustn't be surprised if they get a nasty bite!
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 107, November 3, 1894|Various
At noon we camped, and cooked a bite of dinner while the horses grazed; ate it, and went on again.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
The insects frequently hibernate in warmed houses, and may bite during the winter.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
He showed his rows of little, straight, white teeth, which looked strong enough to bite through a bar of iron.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens

British Dictionary definitions for bite

bite

/ (baɪt) /

verb bites, biting, bit or bitten

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; stingmustard 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)

(tr) informal to annoy or worrywhat's biting her?

(often passive) slang to cheat

(tr often foll by for) Australian and NZ slang to ask (for); scrounge from

bite off more than one can chew informal to attempt a task beyond one's capability

bite the bullet to face up to (pain, trouble, etc) with fortitude; be stoical

bite someone's head off to respond harshly and rudely (to)

bite the dust See dust (def. 11)

bite the hand that feeds one to repay kindness with injury or ingratitude

once bitten, twice shy after an unpleasant experience one is cautious in similar situations

put the bite on someone Australian 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 qualitythat'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

Derived forms of bite

biter, noun

Word Origin for bite

Old English bītan; related to Latin findere to split, Sanskrit bhedati he splits

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with bite

bite

In addition to the idioms beginning with bite

bite off more than one can chew
bite one's nails
bite one's tongue
bite someone's head off
bite the bullet
bite the dust
bite the hand that feeds you

also see:

bark is worse than one's bite
put the bite on
sound bite

Also seebitten.

bite

Definition of bite

OTHER WORDS FOR bite

Idioms about bite

Origin of bite

OTHER WORDS FROM bite

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bite

Words nearby bite

Words related to bite

How to use bite in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bite

Derived forms of bite

Word Origin for bite

Other Idioms and Phrases with bite