biting

[ bahy-ting ]

/ ˈbaɪ tɪŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR biting ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

nipping; smarting; keen: biting cold; a biting sensation on the tongue.

cutting; sarcastic: a biting remark.

Origin of biting

First recorded in 1250–1300, biting is from the Middle English word bitynge. See bite, -ing²

SYNONYMS FOR biting

2 incisive, trenchant; caustic, mordant, scathing, lacerating.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR biting ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM biting

bit·ing·ly, adverb bit·ing·ness, noun non·bit·ing, adjective un·bit·ing, adjective

Words nearby biting

bitemporal hemianopsia, biteplate, biter, bitewing, bithynia, biting, biting louse, biting mania, biting midge, biting point, biting stage

Definition for biting (2 of 2)

bite

[ bahyt ]

/ baɪt /

verb (used with object), bit, bit·ten or bit, bit·ing.

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

to start to eat (often followed by into): She bit into her steak.

to clamp the teeth firmly on or around (often followed 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.

verb (used without object), bit, bit·ten or bit, bit·ing.

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, especially 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.

noun

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.

Origin of bite

before 1000; Middle English biten, Old English bītan; cognate with Old High German bīzan (German beissen), Gothic beitan, Old Norse bīta; akin to Latin findere to split

SYNONYMS FOR bite

1 gnaw, chew, nip.

22 mouthful, morsel, taste; scrap, crumb, dab.

23 snack, nosh.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bite ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM bite

bit·a·ble, bite·a·ble, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bite

bight bite byte

Example sentences from the Web for biting

Abramson, biting her tongue, was widely portrayed in rival outlets as classily above the fray.

The Bloodiest Media Coups of 2014 |Lloyd Grove |December 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
At least one mobster said he always kept two biting monkeys in the room when he met his associates.

Days of Mafia Mayhem Are Wracking Italy Once Again |Barbie Latza Nadeau |November 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The region of interest is known as the Amundsen Sea Sector, which means climate change is biting Earth in the ASS.

Glaciers Lose 204 Billion Tons of Ice in Three Years |Matthew R. Francis |October 5, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
She has personally confronted suicide, business failure and biting criticism, and in the face of it all she perseveres.

The Directors of Joan Rivers Documentary 'A Piece of Work' Remember Its Star |Kevin Fallon |September 8, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

His humor, by turns playful and biting, ranges over the stories he tells.

Nigeria’s Larger-Than-Life Nobel Laureate Chronicles a Fascinating Life |Chimamanda Adichie |August 9, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The sky was overcast and the snow-capped peaks rose chilly and bleak through the biting atmosphere.

Wonders of the Yellowstone |James Richardson
Lady St. Craye, biting her lips in lonely dissection of herself and of him, dared take no comfort.

The Incomplete Amorist |E. Nesbit
"We'll have to get him somewhere out of this biting, cold air," observed Sam.

The Rover Boys on a Tour |Arthur M. Winfield
She was biting her lips as she went about looking for a cloth to wipe it up.

Fidelity |Susan Glaspell
Three brutes whose trespasses count as human crimes: a chained hound, a ferocious ram, a biting horse.

The Triads of Ireland |Kuno Meyer

British Dictionary definitions for biting (1 of 2)

biting

/ (ˈbaɪtɪŋ) /

adjective

piercing; keen a biting wind

sarcastic; incisive a biting comment

Derived forms of biting

bitingly, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for biting (2 of 2)

bite

/ (baɪt) /

verb bites, biting, bit or bitten

to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws

(of animals, insects, etc) to injure by puncturing or tearing (the skin or flesh) with the teeth, fangs, etc, esp as a natural characteristic

(tr) to cut or penetrate, as with a knife

(of corrosive material such as acid) to eat away or into

to smart or cause to smart; sting mustard bites the tongue

(intr) angling (of a fish) to take or attempt to take the bait or lure

to take firm hold of or act effectively upon

to grip or hold (a workpiece) with a tool or chuck

(of a screw, thread, etc) to cut into or grip (an object, material, etc)

(tr) informal to annoy or worry what's biting her?

(often passive) slang to cheat

(tr often foll by for) Australian and NZ slang to ask (for); scrounge from

bite off more than one can chew informal to attempt a task beyond one's capability

bite the bullet to face up to (pain, trouble, etc) with fortitude; be stoical

bite someone's head off to respond harshly and rudely (to)

bite the dust See dust (def. 11)

bite the hand that feeds one to repay kindness with injury or ingratitude

once bitten, twice shy after an unpleasant experience one is cautious in similar situations

put the bite on someone Australian slang to ask someone for money

noun

the act of biting

a thing or amount bitten off

a wound, bruise, or sting inflicted by biting

angling an attempt by a fish to take the bait or lure

informal an incisive or penetrating effect or quality that's a question with a bite

a light meal; snack

a cutting, stinging, or smarting sensation

the depth of cut of a machine tool

the grip or hold applied by a tool or chuck to a workpiece

dentistry the angle or manner of contact between the upper and lower teeth when the mouth is closed naturally

the surface of a file or rasp with cutting teeth

the corrosive action of acid, as on a metal etching plate

Derived forms of bite

biter, noun

Word Origin for bite

Old English bītan; related to Latin findere to split, Sanskrit bhedati he splits

Medical definitions for biting

bite

[ bīt ]

v.

To cut, grip, or tear with the teeth.

To pierce the skin of with the teeth, fangs, or mouthparts.

n.

The act of biting.

A puncture or laceration of the skin by the teeth of an animal or the mouthparts of an insect or similar organism.

Idioms and Phrases with biting

bite

In addition to the idioms beginning with bite

bite off more than one can chew
bite one's nails
bite one's tongue
bite someone's head off
bite the bullet
bite the dust
bite the hand that feeds you

also see:

bark is worse than one's bite
put the bite on
sound bite

Also seebitten.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

biting

adjective

Origin of biting

SYNONYMS FOR biting

OTHER WORDS FROM biting

Words nearby biting

Definition for biting (2 of 2)

verb (used with object), bit, bit·ten or bit, bit·ing.

verb (used without object), bit, bit·ten or bit, bit·ing.

noun

Origin of bite

SYNONYMS FOR bite

OTHER WORDS FROM bite

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bite

Example sentences from the Web for biting

British Dictionary definitions for biting (1 of 2)

adjective

Derived forms of biting

British Dictionary definitions for biting (2 of 2)

verb bites, biting, bit or bitten

noun

Derived forms of bite

Word Origin for bite

Medical definitions for biting

v.

n.

Idioms and Phrases with biting

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

biting

adjective

Origin of biting

SYNONYMS FOR biting

OTHER WORDS FROM biting

Words nearby biting

Definition for biting (2 of 2)

verb (used with object), bit, bit·ten or bit, bit·ing.

verb (used without object), bit, bit·ten or bit, bit·ing.

noun

Origin of bite

SYNONYMS FOR bite

OTHER WORDS FROM bite

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bite

Words related to biting

Example sentences from the Web for biting

British Dictionary definitions for biting (1 of 2)

adjective

Derived forms of biting

British Dictionary definitions for biting (2 of 2)

verb bites, biting, bit or bitten

noun

Derived forms of bite

Word Origin for bite

Medical definitions for biting

v.

n.

Idioms and Phrases with biting