1an act of biting something in order to eat it:Stephen ate a hot dog in three big bites
a wound inflicted by an animal’s or a person’s teeth:Percy’s dog had given her a nasty bite
a wound inflicted by a snake, insect, or spider:my legs were covered in mosquito bites
an instance of bait being taken by a fish:by four o’clock he still hadn’t had a single bite
Dentistry the bringing together of the teeth so that the jaws are closed.
Dentistry an imprint of the position of the teeth when the jaws are closed, made in a plastic material.
2a piece cut off by biting:Robyn took a large bite out of her sandwich
informal a quick snack:I plan to stop off in the village and have a bite to eat
a small morsel of prepared food, intended to constitute one mouthful:bacon bites with cheese
a short piece of information.
3a sharp or pungent flavour:a fresh, lemony bite
[mass noun] incisiveness or cogency of style:the tale has added bite if its characters appear to be real
a feeling of cold in the air or wind:by early October there’s a bite in the air
ზმნა
Universal
1use the teeth to cut into (something):the woman’s arm was bitten off by an alligator [no object]:Rosa bit into a cream cake
use the teeth in order to inflict injury on:she had bitten, scratched, and kicked her assailant
(of a snake, insect, or spider) wound with fangs, pincers, or a sting:while on holiday she was bitten by an adder
[no object] (of an acid) corrode a surface:chemicals have bitten deep into the stone
[no object] (of a fish) take the bait or lure on the end of a fishing line into the mouth:I marvel at how easily and eagerly a chub will bite
[no object] informal be persuaded to accept a deal or offer:a hundred or so retailers should bite
informal annoy or worry:what’s biting you today?
2 [no object] (of a tool, tyre, boot, etc.) grip or take hold on a surface:once on the slab, my boots failed to bite
(of an object) press into a part of the body, causing pain:the handcuffs bit into his wrists
cause emotional pain:Cheryl’s betrayal had bitten deep
(of a policy or situation) take effect, with unpleasant consequences:the cuts in art education were starting to bite
North American informal be very bad, unpleasant, or unfortunate:it bites that your mom won’t let you go
someone's bark is worse than their bite
see bark1.
be bitten by the —— bug
develop a passionate interest in a specified activity:Joe was badly bitten by the showbiz bug at the age of four
bite the big one
North American informal die:the Premier bit the big one, supposedly an automobile accident
bite the bullet
decide to do something difficult or unpleasant that one has been putting off or hesitating over:decisions have to be taken and as director you have got to bite the bullet
[from the old custom of giving wounded soldiers a bullet to bite on when undergoing surgery without anaesthetic]
bite the dust
informal
be killed:the baddies bite the dust with lead in their bellies
fail or come to an end:she hoped the new course would not bite the dust for lack of funding
repress an emotion; stifle laughter or repress a retort:she bit her lip to stop the rush of bitter words
bite one's nails
chew at one’s nails as a nervous habit:I used to bite my nails
bite off more than one can chew
take on a commitment one cannot fulfil:serves him right for biting off more than he could chew
the biter bitten (or bit)
used to indicate that someone is being treated in the same way that they have treated others, typically badly:now the cruel biter was being cruelly bitten
bite one's tongue
make a desperate effort to avoid saying something:I had to bite my tongue and accept his explanation
one could have bitten one's tongue off
used to convey that one profoundly and immediately regrets having said something:as soon as he had spoken, Grant could have bitten his tongue off
once bitten, twice shy
proverb an unpleasant experience induces caution.
put the bite on
North American & Australian/NZ informal borrow or extort money from:a deadbeat diner tried to put the bite on a restaurant
[1930s (originally US): bite, from the slang sense 'deception']
take a bite out of
informal reduce by a significant amount:commissions that can take a bite out of your retirement funds
bite something back
refrain with difficulty from saying something, making a sound, or expressing an emotion:Melissa bit back a scathing comment
