SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

ankle biter

noun

variants: or

ankle–biter

Definition of ankle biter

informal

1 : a young child The only topics of conversation among parents are about the ankle biters and their various extracurricular activities … and food allergies. — Deborah Hill Cone
2 : a small, aggressive dog

First Known Use of ankle biter

1840

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up ankle biter? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

WORD OF THE DAY

crucible

play

a severe test

Words at Play

alt-596f730ceb5ae

Words We're Watching: 'Scoby'

Kombucha lovers unite.

alt-596e1a928254c

Words We're Watching: 'Fidget Spinner'

Don't fight the fad

alt-5956722528373

A Nun's 'Habit' & A Mini-Skirt

They have more in common than you might think.

alt-596cccb141873

Our Verdict on 'Judgy'

Will word nerds judge you for this?

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066

Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless

Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals

Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

The Emoji Quiz

Think you’re an emoji 👓 expert? Let’s see 🤔

Take the quiz

A Game of Thrones Word Quiz

In the Game of Thrones quiz, you learn some new vocabulary. (It’s quite safe, really. You will not die.)

Take the quiz

True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

Take the quiz

SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game