verb
bite
byt
verb
1
To use the teeth to cut into, grip, or wound something.
"The puppy loves to bite on old shoes."
"She bit into the apple with a satisfying crunch."
2
To have an unpleasant or harmful effect, often after a delay.
"The new tax rules are starting to bite for small businesses."
noun
1
An act of biting, or the mark left by one.
"The mosquito bite left an itchy red welt."
How to Use Bite
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo clamp down with the teeth, or (figuratively) for something negative to start taking effect.
Common pairings
bite the bullet
bite off more than you can chew
the cold bites
Word Forms
bit past tense, bitten past tense, bites singular
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Etymology
From Old English bītan, from a very old Germanic root meaning "to split" — the same root that eventually gave us the word "bit".