Bite

English

Etymology

From Old English bītan, from Proto-Germanic *bītanan, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeid- (“to split”). Cognates include Old Norse bíta (Danish bide), Gothic 𐌱𐌴𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (beitan), German beißen, {etyl|grc|-}} φείδομαι (feídomai), Sanskrit भिद् (bhid, “to break”), Latin findo (“split”).

Pronunciation

• (US) enPR: bīt, IPA: /baɪt/, SAMPA: /baIt/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -aɪt
• (Canada) IPA: /bʌit/, SAMPA: /bVit/
• Rhymes: -ʌit
• Homophones: bight, byte

Verb

Bite (third-person singular simple present bites, present participle biting, simple past bit, past participle bitten)

1. (transitive) To cut off a piece by clamping the teeth.

   As soon as you bite that sandwich, you'll know how good it is.

2. (transitive) To hold something by clamping one’s teeth.
3. (intransitive) To attack with the teeth.

   That dog is about to bite!

4. (intransitive) To take hold; to establish firm contact with.

   I needed snow chains to make the tires bite.

5. (intransitive, of a fish) To bite a baited hook or other lure and thus be caught.

   Are the fish biting today?

6. (intransitive) To fall for a deception.

   I've planted the story. Do you think they'll bite?

7. (intransitive, of an insect) To sting.

   These mosquitoes are really biting today!

8. (intransitive, slang) To lack quality; to be worthy of derision.

   This music really bites.

9. (intransitive, slang) To plagiarize.

   He's biting my style.

Derived terms

Terms derived from bite (verb)

bite off bite off more than one can chew bite someone's head off

bite the big one bite the bullet bite the hand that feeds one

bite the dust

Noun

Bite (plural Bites)

1. The act of biting.
2. The wound left behind after having been bitten.

   That snake bite really hurts!

3. The swelling of one's skin caused by an insect's mouthparts or sting.

   After just one night in the jungle I was covered with mosquito bites.

4. A piece of food of a size that would be produced by biting; a mouthful.

   There were only a few bites left on the plate.

5. (slang) Something unpleasant.

   That's really a bite!

6. (slang) An act of plagiarism.

   That song is a bite of my song!

7. A small meal or snack.

   I'll have a quick bite to quiet my stomach until dinner.

8. (figuratively) aggression

Synonyms

• sting

Derived terms

terms derived from "bite"

bite in the ass bitemark bite me bite one’s knuckle bite one’s tongue biter bite-sized

bite stick bite the dust bite the bullet crossbite in one bite overbite snakebite, snake-bite underbite

Related terms

terms related to "bite"

bit

biting