BITE (bit, bitten)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does bite mean? 

• BITE (noun)
  The noun BITE has 9 senses:

1. a wound resulting from biting by an animal or a person

2. a small amount of solid food; a mouthful

3. a painful wound caused by the thrust of an insect's stinger into skin

4. a light informal meal

5. (angling) an instance of a fish taking the bait

6. wit having a sharp and caustic quality

7. a strong odor or taste property

8. the act of gripping or chewing off with the teeth and jaws

9. a portion removed from the whole

  Familiarity information: BITE used as a noun is familiar.

• BITE (verb)
  The verb BITE has 4 senses:

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

2. cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort

3. penetrate or cut, as with a knife

4. deliver a sting to

  Familiarity information: BITE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BITE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A wound resulting from biting by an animal or a person

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("bite" is a kind of...):

lesion; wound (an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bite"):

snakebite (a bite inflicted by a (venomous) snake)

dog bite (a bite inflicted by a dog)

Derivation:

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

Sense 2

Meaning:

A small amount of solid food; a mouthful

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

bit; bite; morsel

Context example:

all they had left was a bit of bread

Hypernyms ("bite" is a kind of...):

mouthful; taste (a small amount eaten or drunk)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bite"):

chaw; chew; cud; plug; quid; wad (a wad of something chewable as tobacco)

crumb (small piece of e.g. bread or cake)

sop; sops (piece of solid food for dipping in a liquid)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A painful wound caused by the thrust of an insect's stinger into skin

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

bite; insect bite; sting

Hypernyms ("bite" is a kind of...):

harm; hurt; injury; trauma (any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bite"):

bee sting (a sting inflicted by a bee)

flea bite (sting inflicted by a flea)

mosquito bite (a sting inflicted by a mosquito)

Derivation:

bite (deliver a sting to)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A light informal meal

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

bite; collation; snack

Hypernyms ("bite" is a kind of...):

meal; repast (the food served and eaten at one time)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bite"):

refreshment (snacks and drinks served as a light meal)

nosh ((Yiddish) a snack or light meal)

coffee break; tea break (a snack taken during a break in the work day)

Sense 5

Meaning:

(angling) an instance of a fish taking the bait

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Context example:

after fishing for an hour he still had not had a bite

Hypernyms ("bite" is a kind of...):

success (an event that accomplishes its intended purpose)

Domain category:

fishing; sportfishing (the act of someone who fishes as a diversion)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Wit having a sharp and caustic quality

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

bite; pungency

Context example:

the bite of satire

Hypernyms ("bite" is a kind of...):

humor; humour; wit; witticism; wittiness (a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter)

Sense 7

Meaning:

A strong odor or taste property

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

bite; pungency; raciness; sharpness

Context example:

the raciness of the wine

Hypernyms ("bite" is a kind of...):

spice; spicery; spiciness (the property of being seasoned with spice and so highly flavored)

Sense 8

Meaning:

The act of gripping or chewing off with the teeth and jaws

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

bite; chomp

Hypernyms ("bite" is a kind of...):

eating; feeding (the act of consuming food)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bite"):

nibble (gentle biting)

nip; pinch (a small sharp bite or snip)

munch (a large bite)

Derivation:

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

Sense 9

Meaning:

A portion removed from the whole

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

the government's weekly bite from my paycheck

Hypernyms ("bite" is a kind of...):

deduction; subtraction (the act of subtracting (removing a part from the whole))

Domain usage:

argot; cant; jargon; lingo; patois; slang; vernacular (a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves))

• BITE (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

bite; seize with teeth

Context example:

Gunny invariably tried to bite her

Hypernyms (to "bite" is one way to...):

grip (hold fast or firmly)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bite"):

gnaw (bite or chew on with the teeth)

bite off; snap at (bite off with a quick bite)

snap (bring the jaws together)

nibble (bite gently)

nip (give a small sharp bite to)

nibble (bite off very small pieces)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Also:

bite off (bite off with a quick bite)

Derivation:

bite (the act of gripping or chewing off with the teeth and jaws)

bite (a wound resulting from biting by an animal or a person)

biter (someone who bites)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

bite; burn; sting

Context example:

The sun burned his face

Hypernyms (to "bite" is one way to...):

ache; hurt; smart (be the source of pain)

Verb group:

burn (feel hot or painful)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bite"):

nettle; urticate (sting with or as with nettles and cause a stinging pain or sensation)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Penetrate or cut, as with a knife

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

The fork bit into the surface

Hypernyms (to "bite" is one way to...):

pierce (make a hole into)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Deliver a sting to

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

bite; prick; sting

Context example:

A bee stung my arm yesterday

Hypernyms (to "bite" is one way to...):

pierce (make a hole into)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

bite (a painful wound caused by the thrust of an insect's stinger into skin)

 Context examples 

Book an hour at the spa, for you will be craving a bit of luxury, and early January will offer you the chance to indulge.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

"Now don't bite," Martin warned, "or else I'll have to punch your face. It would be a pity, for it is such a pretty face."

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

I have had a sirloin so large, that I have been forced to make three bites of it; but this is rare.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Besides, added the dog, I should not be the worse for a bone or two, or a bit of meat.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

"Not a bit of it," answered the Lion.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

When a mosquito infected with malaria parasites bites someone, it transfers the parasites into their bloodstream via its saliva.

(Toothpaste ingredient may help fight drug-resistant malaria, University of Cambridge)

Far in the western hemisphere, scientists on NASA’s New Horizons mission have discovered what looks like a giant “bite mark” on Pluto’s surface.

(What’s Eating at Pluto?, NASA)

But never did he forget to shiver, nor to stumble where the footing was rough, nor to cry aloud at the bite of the lash.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Not a bit, Doctor. Stay where you are. I am lost without my Boswell. And this promises to be interesting. It would be a pity to miss it.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“I am glad you are as small a bit as you are,” I said.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)