Bite Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

English Language Learners Definition of bite · to press down on or cut into (someone or something) with the teeth · to wound (someone) by pushing a stinger, fang, ... Login SignUp Hello, Games&Quizzes Thesaurus WordoftheDay Features BuyingGuide M-WBooks MyWordsMyWords ViewRecents Account LogOut bite verb SaveWord \ˈbīt \ bit\ ˈbit \;bitten\ ˈbi-​tᵊn \alsobit;biting\ ˈbī-​tiŋ \ Definitionofbite (Entry1of2) transitiveverb 1a :toseizeespeciallywithteethorjawssoastoenter,grip,orwound wasbittenbyadog b :towound,pierce,orstingespeciallywithafangoraproboscis gettingbittenbymosquitoesasnakebithisleg 2 :tocutorpiercewithorasifwithanedgedweapon bitbyhissword 3 :tocausesharppainorstingingdiscomfortto thesleetbitingourfaces 4 :totakeholdof helpthepliersbitethepart 5 archaic :totakein:cheat intransitiveverb 1 :tobiteorhavethehabitofbitingsomething Thiscatbites. 2 ofaweaponortool :tocut,pierce,ortakehold bitesdownonthepartTheanchorbitesintotheoceanfloor. 3 :tocauseirritationorsmarting Hercriticismsreallybite. 4 :corrode 5a offish :totakeabait Thefisharen'tbitingtoday. b :torespondsoastobecaught(asbyatrick) c :toacceptasuggestionoranoffer offeredthemadealbuttheywouldn'tbite 6 :totakeormaintainafirmhold Theanchordidn'tbitewell. 7 :toproduceanegativeeffect therecessionbegantobite 8 chieflyUSslang,sometimesvulgar :tobeobjectionableorextremelybadinquality:stink,suck Thissongbites. 9 USslang :toimitateorcopy(someoneorsomething)especiallywithoutpermission Therearelotsofrappersbitinghisstyle—butthere'sonlyoneJamesBrown!—Spin biteoffmorethanonecanchew :toundertakemorethanonecanhandle biteone'stongue :toholdback(asfromareluctancetooffend)aremarkonewouldliketomake bitethebullet :toenterwithresignationuponadifficultordistressingcourseofaction bitethedust 1 :tofalldeadespeciallyinbattle 2a :tosufferhumiliationordefeat b :tocometoanend bitethehandthatfeedsone :toinjureabenefactormaliciously bite noun pluralbites Definitionofbite (Entry2of2) 1a :theactofbiting tookabiteofthesandwichfeltabiteattheendofthefishingline b :themannerofbiting especially,dentistry :occlusionsense1b worebracestocorrectherbite 2 :food:suchas a :theamountoffoodtakenatabite:morsel couldn'teatanotherbite b :asmallamountoffood:snack haveabitetoeat 3 archaic a :cheat,trick b :sharper 4 :awoundmadebybiting Thebitebecameinfected. 5 :theholdorgripbywhichfriction(seefrictionsense1b)iscreatedorpurchase(seepurchaseentry2sense3a(1))isobtained 6 :asurfacethatcreatesfrictionorisbroughtintocontactwithanotherforthepurposeofobtainingahold 7a :akeenincisivequality awritingstylethatlacksbiteasatiricalbite b :asharppenetratingeffect Thesouphasapepperybite.thebiteofthewindonourcheeks 8 etching :asingleexposureofanetcher'splatetothecorrosiveactionofacid 9 :anamount(asofmoney)takenusuallyinoneoperationforonepurpose:share a15percentbiteforhismanager 10 :soundbite a10-secondnewsbite 11 :anexpressionofinterestinsomethingbeingoffered Insevenpreviousdays,thesellerdidn'tgetasinglebite[=nooneexpressedinterestinbuyingwhatwasoffered].—JerryGarrettetal. OtherWordsfrombite Synonyms&Antonyms MoreExampleSentences LearnMoreAboutbite OtherWordsfrombite Verb biter \ ˈbī-​tər \ noun Synonyms&Antonymsforbite Synonyms:Verb smell, stink, suck [informal+sometimesimpolite] Synonyms:Noun acerbity, acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, acrimoniousness, acrimony, acuteness, asperity, bitterness, edge, harshness, keenness, poignance, poignancy, pungency, roughness, sharpness, tartness Antonyms:Verb rock [slang], rule [slang] Antonyms:Noun mildness, softness VisittheThesaurusforMore  ExamplesofbiteinaSentence Verb Thehamsterbitthechild. Shebitthecookieinhalf. Somepeoplebitetheirnailswhentheyfeelnervous. Awildanimalmaybiteifitisfrightened. Thepatienthadbeenbittenbyapoisonoussnake. Themosquitoesarebitingtonight. Arethefishbitingtoday? Noun Heatethecandybarinthreequickbites. Shegaveherlipagentlebite. Thefishermanfeltabiteattheendofhislineandreeledinafish. Myteenagedaughterwearsaspecialdeviceatnighttocorrectherbite. Don'tscratchthatmosquitobite. SeeMore RecentExamplesontheWeb:Noun Theperi-perichickenfeaturesachile-heavypastethatdetonatesonfirstbite,layingwastetoeverythinginsight,includingyourpalate. — WashingtonPost,3Jan.2022 Afterthatfirstbite,theDiamondbacksinvestedmorethan$20,000inhelpingCotaopenafoodstandatChaseField. — PriscillaTotiyapungprasert,TheArizonaRepublic,6Dec.2021 Retiro20YearTawnyPortwithan85percentpurecacaobar;siptheportafterabiteanddiscoverhowtheliquidembellishesasweetnesstothechocolate. — JillianDara,Forbes,15Nov.2021 Theaudiencehungeredaftereachandeverybite,oftenhowlingwithlaughter. — KathrynGregory,TheCourier-Journal,11Nov.2021 Afterananimalbite,Pitbeginsshowingtrulymonstroustendencies. — JamieLang,Variety,5Nov.2021 Afterthefirstbite,yourhandswillbeslickwithgrease. — JennHarrisColumnist,LosAngelesTimes,3Nov.2021 Accordingtothecounty,everyyearintheUnitedStates,about800,000peoplerequiremedicaltreatmentafteradogbite,withthevastmajorityofdogbitesoccurringontheowner’sproperty. — SanDiegoUnion-Tribune,22Oct.2021 GreasewentrunningdownmychinaftermyfirstbiteofPorkShots. — SarahBlaskovich,DallasNews,26Sep.2021 Theseexamplesentencesareselectedautomaticallyfromvariousonlinenewssourcestoreflectcurrentusageoftheword'bite.'ViewsexpressedintheexamplesdonotrepresenttheopinionofMerriam-Websteroritseditors.Sendusfeedback. SeeMore FirstKnownUseofbite Verb beforethe12thcentury,inthemeaningdefinedattransitivesense1aNoun 15thcentury,inthemeaningdefinedatsense1a HistoryandEtymologyforbite Verb MiddleEnglishbiten,goingbacktoOldEnglishbītan,goingbacktoGermanic*bītan-(whenceOldSaxonbītan"tobite,cutinto,"OldHighGermanbīzan,OldNorsebíta,Gothicbeitan),goingbacktoIndo-European*bhei̯d-"split,"whencealsoLatinfindere"tosplit,cleave,divide"(fromaderivative*bhi-n-d-),Sanskritabhet"hassplit,"bhinátti"(s/he)splits"andperhapsGreekpheídomai,pheídesthai"tospare,save,refrainfrom" Noun derivativeofbiteentry1 LearnMoreAboutbite Sharebite PosttheDefinitionofbitetoFacebook SharetheDefinitionofbiteonTwitter TimeTravelerforbite Thefirstknownuseofbitewas beforethe12thcentury Seemorewordsfromthesamecentury DictionaryEntriesNearbite Bitcoin bite biteable SeeMoreNearbyEntries  PhrasesRelatedtobite abitofa/an abitofallright abitofcrumpet Statisticsforbite Look-upPopularity CitethisEntry “Bite.”Merriam-Webster.comDictionary,Merriam-Webster,https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bite.Accessed14Jan.2022. Style:MLA MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster MoreDefinitionsforbite bite verb EnglishLanguageLearnersDefinitionofbite (Entry1of2) :topressdownonorcutinto(someoneorsomething)withtheteeth :towound(someone)bypushingastinger,fang,etc.,intotheskin :tograbandholdsomethingwithoutslipping bite noun EnglishLanguageLearnersDefinitionofbite (Entry2of2) :anactofbiting :thewaytheupperandlowerteethcometogether :theamountoffoodeatenwithabite SeethefulldefinitionforbiteintheEnglishLanguageLearnersDictionary bite verb \ˈbīt \ bit\ ˈbit \;bitten\ ˈbi-​tᵊn \;biting\ ˈbī-​tiŋ \ KidsDefinitionofbite (Entry1of2) 1 :toseize,grip,orcutintowithorasifwithteeth biteanapple 2 :towoundorstingusuallywithastingerorfang Amosquitobitme. 3 :totakeabait Thefisharebiting. bite noun KidsDefinitionofbite (Entry2of2) 1 :anactofseizingorcuttingintowiththeteeth threequickbites 2 :awoundmadebybiting:sting amosquitobite 3 :theamountoffoodtakenatabite Ijusthadabiteofdessert. 4 :asharporbitingsensation Thepepperhasabite. bite verb \ˈbīt \ bit\ ˈbit \;bitten\ ˈbit-​ᵊn \alsobit;biting\ ˈbīt-​iŋ \ Medical Definitionofbite (Entry1of2) transitiveverb 1 :toseizeespeciallywithteethorjawssoastoenter,grip,orwound 2 :towound,pierce,orstingespeciallywithafangoraproboscis intransitiveverb :tobiteorhavethehabitofbitingsomething bite noun Medical Definitionofbite (Entry2of2) 1 :theactormannerofbiting especially :occlusionsense2a 2 :awoundmadebybiting MorefromMerriam-Websteronbite Nglish:TranslationofbiteforSpanishSpeakers BritannicaEnglish:TranslationofbiteforArabicSpeakers WORDOFTHEDAY gloss SeeDefinitionsandExamples» GetWordoftheDaydailyemail! 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