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Where did the word 'bite the dust' come from?
What does it mean to 'bite the dust'?
What is a synonym for bite the dust?
What happens if someone bites the dust?
Mar 14, 2011 · According to some Spanish sources, the expression "morder el polvo" (literally translated: bite the dust/powder) - which means to die or to lose - comes from the "fact" that in the middle ages, when a knight was about to die, would put some dirt in his mouth as a way to express his love of the land. Seems more poetic than literal, but the ...
- Fran
Q&A for linguists, etymologists, and serious English...
- Fran
bite the dust. idiom. Add to word list. to fall so that your body hits the ground heavily: As they came around the bend several riders bit the dust. to die. to end in failure: His career bit the dust when he lost his job. Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples.
It was translated into English in the 19th century by Samuel Butler and his version contains a reference to ‘bite the dust’ in these lines: “Grant that my sword may pierce the shirt of Hector about his heart, and that full many of his comrades may bite the dust as they fall dying round him.”
The idiom “bite the dust” is a popular phrase used to describe someone who has suffered defeat or failure. The origins of this phrase can be traced back to ancient times, where it was believed that warriors who fell in battle would literally bite the dust as they hit the ground.
The meaning of BITE is to seize especially with teeth or jaws so as to enter, grip, or wound. How to use bite in a sentence.
Die, especially in a violent or sudden way.
If someone bites the dust, they die. A Wild West showman nearly bit the dust when he blew himself up making blank bullets in his garden shed. Note: This expression is used to refer to someone's death in a humorous way.
