to cut, wound, or tear with the teeth

She bit the apple greedily. The lion bit his trainer.

to grip or hold with the teeth

Stop biting your lip!

to sting, as does an insect.

to cause to smart or sting

an icy wind that bit our faces.

to sever with the teeth (often fol. by off )

Don't bite your nails. The child bit off a large piece of the candy bar.

to start to eat (often fol. by into )

She bit into her steak.

to clamp the teeth firmly on or around (often fol. by on )

He bit hard on the stick while they removed the bullet from his leg.

Informal .

to take advantage of; cheat; deceive

I got bitten in a mail-order swindle.

to annoy or upset; anger

What's biting you, sorehead?

to eat into or corrode, as does an acid.

to cut or pierce with, or as with, a weapon

The sword split his helmet and bit him fatally.

Etching . to etch with acid (a copper or other surface) in such parts as are left bare of a protective coating.

to take firm hold or act effectively on

We need a clamp to bite the wood while the glue dries.

Archaic . to make a decided impression on; affect.

to press the teeth into something; attack with the jaws, bill, sting, etc.; snap

Does your parrot bite?

Angling . (of fish) to take bait

The fish aren't biting today.

to accept an offer or suggestion, esp. one intended to trick or deceive

I knew it was a mistake, but I bit anyway.

Informal . to admit defeat in guessing

I'll bite, who is it?

to act effectively; grip; hold

This wood is so dry the screws don't bite.

Slang . to be notably repellent, disappointing, poor, etc.; suck.

an act of biting.

a wound made by biting

a deep bite.

a cutting, stinging, or nipping effect

the bite of an icy wind; the bite of whiskey on the tongue.

a piece bitten off

Chew each bite carefully.

a small meal

Let's have a bite before the theater.

a portion severed from the whole

the government's weekly bite of my paycheck.

a morsel of food

not a bite to eat.

the occlusion of one's teeth

The dentist said I had a good bite.

Machinery .

the catch or hold that one object or one part of a mechanical apparatus has on another.

a surface brought into contact to obtain a hold or grip, as in a lathe chuck or similar device.

the amount of material that a mechanical shovel or the like can carry at one time.

sharpness; incisiveness; effectiveness

The bite of his story is spoiled by his slovenly style.

the roughness of the surface of a file.

Metalworking . the maximum angle, measured from the center of a roll in a rolling mill, between a perpendicular and a line to the point of contact where a given object to be rolled will enter between the rolls. ?

bite off more than one can chew

to attempt something that exceeds one's capacity

In trying to build a house by himself, he bit off more than he could chew.

bite someone's head off

to respond with anger or impatience to someone's question or comment

He'll bite your head off if you ask for anything.

bite the bullet. bullet ( def. 7 ) .

bite the dust. dust ( def. 21 ) .

bite the hand that feeds one

to repay kindness with malice or injury

When he berates his boss, he is biting the hand that feeds him.

put the bite on

Slang .

to solicit or attempt to borrow money or something of value from.

to press for money, as in extortion

They found out about his prison record and began to put the bite on him.

verb

be careful

noun

chaw , chomp * , gob , itch * , laceration , nip , pain , pinch , prick , smarting , sting , tooth marks , wound , brunch , drop , light meal , morsel , nibble , nosh * , piece , refreshment , sample , snack , sop * , taste , burn , edge , guts * , kick , piquancy , punch , spice , zap * , zip * , allowance , cut , lot , part , portion , quota , share , slice , incisiveness , keenness , sharpness , crumb , mouthful

verb

champ , chaw , chaw on , chew , chomp , clamp , crunch , crush , cut , eat , gnaw , hold , lacerate , masticate , munch , nibble , nip , pierce , pinch , rend , ruminate , seize , sever , snap , take a chunk out of , taste , tooth , wound , burn , consume , decay , decompose , deteriorate , dissolve , eat into , engrave , erode , etch , oxidize , rot , rust , scour , sear , slash , smart , sting , tingle , wear away , be victim , get hooked , risk , volunteer , gnash , corrode , wear , adhere , allotment , bait , blast , blight , cheat , food , gash , impress , meal , mouthful , puncture , snack , take hold of , trick