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biting

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biting

 

  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Bite  \Bite\,  v.  t.  [imp.  {Bit};  p.  p.  {Bitten},  {Bit};  p.  pr  & 
  vb  n.  {Biting}.]  [OE.  biten,  AS  b[=i]tan;  akin  to  D. 
  bijten  OS  b[=i]tan,  OHG.  b[=i]zan,  G.  beissen  Goth. 
  beitan  Icel.  b[=i]ta,  Sw  bita,  Dan.  bide,  L.  findere  to 
  cleave,  Skr.  bhid  to  cleave.  [root]87.  Cf  {Fissure}.] 
  1.  To  seize  with  the  teeth,  so  that  they  enter  or  nip  the 
  thing  seized;  to  lacerate,  crush,  or  wound  with  the  teeth; 
  as  to  bite  an  apple;  to  bite  a  crust;  the  dog  bit  a  man. 
 
  Such  smiling  rogues  as  these  Like  rats,  oft  bite 
  the  holy  cords  atwain.  --Shak. 
 
  2.  To  puncture,  abrade,  or  sting  with  an  organ  (of  some 
  insects)  used  in  taking  food. 
 
  3.  To  cause  sharp  pain,  or  smarting,  to  to  hurt  or  injure, 
  in  a  literal  or  a  figurative  sense  as  pepper  bites  the 
  mouth.  ``Frosts  do  bite  the  meads.''  --Shak. 
 
  4.  To  cheat;  to  trick;  to  take  in  [Colloq.]  --Pope. 
 
  5.  To  take  hold  of  to  hold  fast  to  adhere  to  as  the 
  anchor  bites  the  ground. 
 
  The  last  screw  of  the  rack  having  been  turned  so 
  often  that  its  purchase  crumbled,  .  .  .  it  turned 
  and  turned  with  nothing  to  bite.  --Dickens. 
 
  {To  bite  the  dust},  {To  bite  the  ground},  to  fall  in  the 
  agonies  of  death;  as  he  made  his  enemy  bite  the  dust. 
 
  {To  bite  in}  (Etching),  to  corrode  or  eat  into  metallic 
  plates  by  means  of  an  acid. 
 
  {To  bite  the  thumb  at}  (any  one),  formerly  a  mark  of 
  contempt,  designed  to  provoke  a  quarrel;  to  defy.  ``Do  you 
  bite  your  thumb  at  us?''  --Shak. 
 
  {To  bite  the  tongue},  to  keep  silence.  --Shak. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Biting  \Bit"ing\,  a. 
  That  bites;  sharp;  cutting;  sarcastic;  caustic.  ``A  biting 
  affliction.''  ``A  biting  jest.''  --Shak. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  biting 
  adj  1:  capable  of  wounding;  "a  barbed  compliment";  "a  biting 
  aphorism";  "pungent  satire"  [syn:  {barbed},  {nipping}, 
  {pungent}] 
  2:  causing  a  sharply  painful  or  stinging  sensation;  used 
  especially  of  cold;  "bitter  cold";  "a  biting  wind"  [syn:  {bitter}]




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