bite
Americanverb (used with object)
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to cut, wound, or tear with the teeth.
She bit the apple greedily. The lion bit his trainer.
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to grip or hold with the teeth.
Stop biting your lip!
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to sting, as does an insect.
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to cause to smart or sting.
an icy wind that bit our faces.
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to sever with the teeth (often followed byoff ).
Don't bite your nails. The child bit off a large piece of the candy bar.
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to start to eat (often followed byinto ).
She bit into her steak.
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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.
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Informal.
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to eat into or corrode, as does an acid.
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to cut or pierce with, or as with, a weapon.
The sword split his helmet and bit him fatally.
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Etching. to etch with acid (a copper or other surface) in such parts as are left bare of a protective coating.
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to take firm hold or act effectively on.
We need a clamp to bite the wood while the glue dries.
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Archaic. to make a decided impression on; affect.
verb (used without object)
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to press the teeth into something; attack with the jaws, bill, sting, etc.; snap.
Does your parrot bite?
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Angling. (of fish) to take bait.
The fish aren't biting today.
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to accept an offer or suggestion, especially one intended to trick or deceive.
I knew it was a mistake, but I bit anyway.
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Informal. to admit defeat in guessing.
I'll bite, who is it?
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to act effectively; grip; hold.
This wood is so dry the screws don't bite.
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Slang. to be notably repellent, disappointing, poor, etc.; suck.
noun
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an act of biting.
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a wound made by biting.
a deep bite.
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a cutting, stinging, or nipping effect.
the bite of an icy wind; the bite of whiskey on the tongue.
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a piece bitten off.
Chew each bite carefully.
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a small meal.
Let's have a bite before the theater.
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a portion severed from the whole.
the government's weekly bite of my paycheck.
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a morsel of food.
not a bite to eat.
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the occlusion of one's teeth.
The dentist said I had a good bite.
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Machinery.
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the catch or hold that one object or one part of a mechanical apparatus has on another.
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a surface brought into contact to obtain a hold or grip, as in a lathe chuck or similar device.
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the amount of material that a mechanical shovel or the like can carry at one time.
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sharpness; incisiveness; effectiveness.
The bite of his story is spoiled by his slovenly style.
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the roughness of the surface of a file.
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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.
idioms
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put the bite on,
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to solicit or attempt to borrow money or something of value from.
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to press for money, as in extortion.
They found out about his prison record and began to put the bite on him.
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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.
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bite the bullet. bullet.
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bite the dust. dust.
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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.
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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.
verb
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to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws
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(of animals, insects, etc) to injure by puncturing or tearing (the skin or flesh) with the teeth, fangs, etc, esp as a natural characteristic
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(tr) to cut or penetrate, as with a knife
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(of corrosive material such as acid) to eat away or into
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to smart or cause to smart; sting
mustard bites the tongue
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(intr) angling (of a fish) to take or attempt to take the bait or lure
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to take firm hold of or act effectively upon
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to grip or hold (a workpiece) with a tool or chuck
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(of a screw, thread, etc) to cut into or grip (an object, material, etc)
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informal (tr) to annoy or worry
what's biting her?
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slang (often passive) to cheat
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slang to ask (for); scrounge from
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informal to attempt a task beyond one's capability
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to face up to (pain, trouble, etc) with fortitude; be stoical
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to respond harshly and rudely (to)
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See dust
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to repay kindness with injury or ingratitude
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after an unpleasant experience one is cautious in similar situations
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slang to ask someone for money
noun
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the act of biting
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a thing or amount bitten off
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a wound, bruise, or sting inflicted by biting
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angling an attempt by a fish to take the bait or lure
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informal an incisive or penetrating effect or quality
that's a question with a bite
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a light meal; snack
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a cutting, stinging, or smarting sensation
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the depth of cut of a machine tool
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the grip or hold applied by a tool or chuck to a workpiece
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dentistry the angle or manner of contact between the upper and lower teeth when the mouth is closed naturally
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the surface of a file or rasp with cutting teeth
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the corrosive action of acid, as on a metal etching plate
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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bitesimple
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bitessimple
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have bitperfect
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have bittenperfect
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has bitperfect
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has bittenperfect
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am bitingprogressive
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are bitingprogressive
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is bitingprogressive
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have been bitingperfect progressive
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has been bitingperfect progressive
Past
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bitsimple
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had bitperfect
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had bittenperfect
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was bitingprogressive
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were bitingprogressive
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had been bitingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He also said the authenticity of the bite marks on the photo — which form a circular shape with an absence of bruising — could be challenged in court by an expert in tooth reconstruction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Hey There Little Insect,” an impish folk-rocker, begs bugs not to bite, incorporating Bo Diddley’s signature clave rhythm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Borthwick, usually measured with the media, had a rare bit of bite to him in Argentina.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Rattlesnake bites are treatable and to have the best outcome for a bite victim, Vohra said, that person must be given antivenom as soon as possible.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Sam asked gloomily, reaching for another bite of yucko cold spinach.
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
Then combine your sound bites, pronounced as they appear in the original clue answers, to solve the final mystery word.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
That’s because when a snake bites and punctures the skin and transfers venom into the victim’s body, the venom attacks the skin, soft tissue and connective tissue beneath it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Diagnosed cases of MMA have steadily escalated since 2007, when an Australian doctor first discovered the allergy was linked to tick bites.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
After reviewing the history and spread of the myth, researchers concluded that bites from adult rattlesnakes are generally more dangerous because adults carry and inject much larger amounts of venom.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026
Nathan woke up in the middle of the night with some brand-new mosquito bites and an immediate need to go to the bathroom.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
Even if you can only put away a little bit each year, it will compound and this money will help you sustain your lifestyle in retirement.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Speaking to BBC Newsbeat last year, he said movies from black American film-makers, such as Love and Basketball, Friday and Mahogany inspired him "to dream a bit" and fuelled his own love of movies.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Humidity levels will remain a bit above normal, especially for coastal areas, due to the warm ocean temperatures, Lewis said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
With a bit of imagination, you can even see some similarities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
His beloved swimming hole had become a bit of a deathtrap: twice as deep and roaring by at a thunderous speed.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
"The skull shows no signs of healing around the tyrannosaur tooth, so it may have already been dead when it was bitten, or it may be dead because it was bitten."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
"The Tiger can still bite you harder than he has bitten you at the ballot box," he said in reference to the feline nickname he gave himself.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
Still, your chance of getting bitten is small—less than one in four million, said Gavin Naylor, director of the University of Florida’s shark-research program.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
William Gude, better known online under the handle “Film The Police L.A.,” claimed Perry’s dog had bitten him in the past.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2026
“Maybe the Spencers were attacked by a big pack of shamblers but they weren't bitten and even though they survived, the mayor doesn't want anyone to know,” Katherine suggests.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
The actor gives what’s arguably one of his finest performances as Julian Sklar, a David Hockney-esque artist, with a biting wit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Bolstered by Finch’s ferocious basslines, hit single “Pretend We’re Dead” received significant airplay on alternative rock stations and became the group’s signature song, along with the biting anti-war anthem “Wargasm.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
Speaking on the BBC's Politics London programme, Labour MP for Peckham Miatta Fahnbulleh described Pecan as an "amazing charity" and agreed that "the cost of living is biting".
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
"Ample evidence demonstrates that baby rattlers, like adults, can control their venom expulsion, the adults possess and deliver far more venom when biting, and the adults cause substantially more severe symptoms in snakebite victims."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026
“So maybe we already did what the letter wanted us to do,” Regan said, biting her lip.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
