bite

verb

\ ˈbīt

bit\ ˈbit

\; bitten\ ˈbi-tᵊn

\ also bit; biting\ ˈbī-tiŋ

Definition of bite

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to seize especially with teeth or jaws so as to enter, grip, or wound was bitten by a dog

b : to wound, pierce, or sting especially with a fang or a proboscis getting bitten by mosquitoes a snake bit his leg

2 : to cut or pierce with or as if with an edged weapon bit by his sword

3 : to cause sharp pain or stinging discomfort to the sleet biting our faces

4 : to take hold of help the pliers bite the part

5 archaic : to take in : cheat

intransitive verb

1 : to bite or have the habit of biting something This cat bites.

2 of a weapon or tool : to cut, pierce, or take hold bites down on the part The anchor bites into the ocean floor.

3 : to cause irritation or smarting Her criticisms really bite.

4 : corrode

5a of fish : to take a bait The fish aren't biting today.

b : to respond so as to be caught (as by a trick)

c : to accept a suggestion or an offer offered them a deal but they wouldn't bite

6 : to take or maintain a firm hold The anchor didn't bite well.

7 : to produce a negative effect the recession began to bite

8 chiefly US slang, sometimes vulgar : to be objectionable or extremely bad in quality : stink, suck This song bites.

9 US slang : to imitate or copy (someone or something) especially without permission There are lots of rappers biting his style—but there's only one James Brown! — Spin

bite off more than one can chew

: to undertake more than one can handle

bite one's tongue

: to hold back (as from a reluctance to offend) a remark one would like to make

bite the bullet

: to enter with resignation upon a difficult or distressing course of action

bite the dust

1 : to fall dead especially in battle

2a : to suffer humiliation or defeat

b : to come to an end

bite the hand that feeds one

: to injure a benefactor maliciously

bite

noun

plural bites

Definition of bite (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : the act of biting took a bite of the sandwich felt a bite at the end of the fishing line

b : the manner of biting especially, dentistry : occlusion sense 1b wore braces to correct her bite

2 : food: such as

a : the amount of food taken at a bite : morsel couldn't eat another bite

b : a small amount of food : snack have a bite to eat

3 archaic

a : cheat, trick

b : sharper

4 : a wound made by biting The bite became infected.

5 : the hold or grip by which friction (see friction sense 1b) is created or purchase (see purchase entry 2 sense 3b(1)) is obtained

6 : a surface that creates friction or is brought into contact with another for the purpose of obtaining a hold

7a : a keen incisive quality a writing style that lacks bite a satirical bite

b : a sharp penetrating effect The soup has a peppery bite. the bite of the wind on our cheeks

8 etching : a single exposure of an etcher's plate to the corrosive action of acid

9 : an amount (as of money) taken usually in one operation for one purpose : share a 15 percent bite for his manager

10 : sound bite a 10-second news bite

11 : an expression of interest in something being offered In seven previous days, the seller didn't get a single bite [=no one expressed interest in buying what was offered].— Jerry Garrett et al.

Other Words from bite Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about bite

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Examples of bite in a Sentence

Verb

The hamster bit the child. She bit the cookie in half. Some people bite their nails when they feel nervous. A wild animal may bite if it is frightened. The patient had been bitten by a poisonous snake. The mosquitoes are biting tonight. Are the fish biting today?

Noun

He ate the candy bar in three quick bites. She gave her lip a gentle bite. The fisherman felt a bite at the end of his line and reeled in a fish. My teenage daughter wears a special device at night to correct her bite. Don't scratch that mosquito bite.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Monaco’s royal twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, just took their first bite out of the big apple. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, "Princess Charlene of Monaco Took Her Royal Twins on a Whirlwind Trip to New York," 18 Jan. 2019 Pro tip: Toss thinly sliced raw onion with lime juice to mellow its bite. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Chicken Mole Tacos," 17 Jan. 2019 So far, his trade bark has been a lot louder than his bite, so the concrete impact has been limited. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "A Wall Street Journal interview on trade shows Trump has no idea what he’s doing," 27 Nov. 2018 Finally, a deputy with a dog arrived and its bites enabled deputies to subdue Harrouff, who had no previous arrest record. — Terry Spencer, The Seattle Times, "Florida woman’s estate sues suspect in face-chewing slaying," 7 Aug. 2018 Lots of flies pose a mild nuisance — like the fruit fly on the left — but the knife-like mouthparts of horse flies make their bites especially painful, according to the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "QUIZ: Can You Identify These Dangerous Summer Plants and Bugs?," 3 Aug. 2018 Come back later today, as Food & Dining reporters descend upon the festival and pick out their favorite bites around Grant Park. — Joseph Hernandez, chicagotribune.com, "Taste of Chicago opens today: What you need to know," 11 July 2018 Let’s face it, a lot of entomology is how to kill insects that munch crops, deliver disease with their bites, or even destroy your house. — Jack Payne, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Insects as art: How Florida can overcome the yuck factor," 9 July 2018 The current menu includes samosas, curried Scotch egg, saag paneer pizza, chutney deviled eggs and peanut chicken tikka among its pub bites. — Greg Morago, Houston Chronicle, "Queen Vic Pub to shutter mid-July," 6 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bite.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for bite

Verb

Middle English biten, going back to Old English bītan, going back to Germanic *bītan- (whence Old Saxon bītan "to bite, cut into," Old High German bīzan, Old Norse bíta, Gothic beitan), going back to Indo-European *bhei̯d- "split," whence also Latin findere "to split, cleave, divide" (from a derivative *bhi-n-d-), Sanskrit abhet "has split," bhinátti "(s/he) splits" and perhaps Greek pheídomai, pheidésthai "to spare, save, refrain from"