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   bite

   /bʌɪt/

   verb

   • 1. (of a person or animal) use the teeth to cut into or through something: "he bit off a piece of cheese" Similar sink one's teeth intochewmunchcrunchchamptear atmasticateeatnibble atgnaw at
   • ▪ use the teeth in order to inflict injury on: "he was chased and bitten by a dog"
   • ▪ (of a snake, insect, or spider) wound (someone or something) with fangs, pincers, or a sting: "while on holiday she was bitten by an adder" Similar punctureprickpiercestingwound
   • ▪ annoy or worry: informal "what's biting you today?"
   • 2. (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"
   • ▪ be persuaded to accept a deal or offer: informal "a hundred or so retailers should bite" Similar acceptgo for itagreerespondbe luredbe enticedbe temptedbe alluredtake the baitrise to the bait
   • 3. make firm contact with a surface: "the brake pads don't bite until they're warmed up" Similar gripholdget a purchase
   • ▪ (of an object) press into a part of the body, causing pain: "the handcuffs bit into his wrists"
   • ▪ (of an acid) corrode a surface: "chemicals have bitten deep into the stone" Similar corrodeeat intoeat away atwear awayburn (into)etcherodedissolvedestroyconsume
   • 4. (of a policy or situation) take effect, with unpleasant consequences: "the cuts in art education were starting to bite" Similar take effecthave an effectbe effectivebe efficaciousworkfunctionacthave resultstake holdsucceedbe successfulwork outgo as plannedhave the desired effect/resultinformal:come offpay offdo the trickdo the businessturn the trick
   • ▪ cause emotional pain: "Cheryl's betrayal had bitten deep"
   • ▪ be very bad, unpleasant, or unfortunate: informal North American "it bites that your mom won't let you go"

   noun

   • 1. an act of biting something in order to eat it: "Stephen ate a hot dog in three big bites" Similar mouthfulpiecemorselbit
   • ▪ a wound inflicted by an animal's or a person's teeth: "Percy's dog had given her a nasty bite" Similar nipsnapchewmunchnibblegnaw
   • ▪ a wound inflicted by a snake, insect, or spider: "my legs were covered in mosquito bites" Similar punctureprickstingwound
   • ▪ an instance of bait being taken by a fish: "by four o'clock he still hadn't had a single bite"
   • ▪ the bringing together of the teeth so that the jaws are closed.
   • ▪ an imprint of the position of the teeth when the jaws are closed, made in a plastic material.
   • 2. a piece cut off by biting: "Robyn took a large bite out of her sandwich"
   • ▪ a quick snack: informal "I plan to stop off in the village and have a bite to eat" Similar snacklight mealsomething to eatmouthfulsoupçonnibblestitbitsavouryappetizerrefreshmentsnamkeeninformal:bite to eata little somethingelevenses
   • ▪ a small morsel of prepared food, intended to constitute one mouthful: "bacon bites with cheese" Similar mouthfulpiecemorselbit
   • ▪ a short piece of information.
   • 3. a sharp or pungent flavour: "a fresh, lemony bite" Similar piquancypungencyspicespicinesssaltinesspepperinessflavourflavouringsavourtastetastinessrelishtangzestsharpnesstartnessinterestedgeeffectpotencyinformal:kickpunchoomphzing
   • ▪ 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"

   Word Origin Old Englishbītan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch bijten and German beissen.

   Scrabble Points: 6

   • B

     3

   • I

     1

   • T

     1

   • E

     1

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