Jump to content

bite

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Appendix:Variations of "bite"

English

[edit]
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology

[edit]
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd-
Proto-Indo-European *-t
Proto-Indo-European *bʰéydt
Proto-Germanic *bītaną
Proto-West Germanic *bītan
Old English bītan
Middle English biten
English bite

    From Middle English biten, from Old English bītan (“bite”), from Proto-West Germanic *bītan, from Proto-Germanic *bītaną (“bite”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- (“split”).

    Cognates include Saterland Frisian biete (“bite”), West Frisian bite (“bite”), Dutch bijten (“bite”), German Low German bieten (“bite”), German beißen, beissen (“bite”), Danish bide (“bite”), Swedish bita (“bite”), Norwegian Bokmål bite (“bite”), Norwegian Nynorsk bita (“bite”), Faroese and Icelandic bíta (“bite”), Gothic 𐌱𐌴𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (beitan, “bite”), Latin findō (“split”), Ancient Greek φείδομαι (pheídomai), Sanskrit भिद् (bhid, “break”).

    Pronunciation

    [edit]

    Verb

    [edit]

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

    1. (transitive) To cut into something 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, chiefly in the negative) To behave aggressively; to reject advances.
      If you see me, come and say hello. I don't bite.
    5. (intransitive) To take hold; to establish firm contact with.
      I needed snow chains to make the tires bite.
    6. (intransitive) To have significant effect, often negative.
      For homeowners with adjustable rate mortgages, rising interest will really bite.
    7. (intransitive, of a fish) To bite a baited hook or other lure and thus be caught.
      Are the fish biting today?
    8. (intransitive, figurative) To accept something offered, often secretly or deceptively, to cause some action by the acceptor.
      I've planted the story. Do you think they'll bite?
    9. (intransitive, transitive, of an insect) To sting.
      These mosquitoes are really biting today!
    10. (intransitive) To cause a smarting sensation; to have a property which causes such a sensation; to be pungent.
      It bites like pepper or mustard.
    11. (transitive, sometimes figurative) To cause sharp pain or damage to; to hurt or injure.
      Pepper bites the mouth.
    12. (intransitive) To cause sharp pain; to produce anguish; to hurt or injure; to have the property of so doing.
    13. (intransitive) To take or keep a firm hold.
      The anchor bites.
    14. (transitive) To take hold of; to hold fast; to adhere to.
      The anchor bites the ground.
    15. (stative, slang) To lack quality; to be worthy of derision; to suck.
      This music really bites.
    16. (transitive, informal, vulgar) To perform oral sex on. Used in invective.
      You don't like that I sat on your car? Bite me.
    17. (intransitive, African-American Vernacular, slang) To plagiarize, to imitate.
      He always be biting my moves.
    18. (obsolete, transitive, slang) To deceive or defraud; to take in.

    Hyponyms

    [edit]

    Derived terms

    [edit]
    [edit]

    Descendants

    [edit]
    • Sranan Tongo: beti
    • Portuguese: baitar (hip-hop slang)

    Translations

    [edit]