bite
/baɪt/ verb B1- To cut into something by clamping the teeth. · As soon as you bite that sandwich, you'll know how good it is.
- To hold something by clamping one's teeth.
- To attack with the teeth. · That dog is about to bite!
- To behave aggressively; to reject advances. · If you see me, come and say hello. I don't bite.
- To take hold; to establish firm contact with. · I needed snow chains to make the tires bite.
- To have significant effect, often negative. · For homeowners with adjustable rate mortgages, rising interest will really bite.
- To bite a baited hook or other lure and thus be caught. · Are the fish biting today?
- To accept something offered, often secretly or deceptively, to cause some action by the acceptor. · I've planted the story. Do you think they'll bite?
He/she/it bites · Past bit · Past participle bitten · -ing form biting
Verb forms
- Base form
- bite
- He/she/it
- bites
- Past
- bit
- Past participle
- bitten
- -ing form
- biting
An irregular verb: learn its past and past participle by heart.
Phrasal verbs and expressions
From the library
A SNAKE, having made his hole close to the porch of a cottage, inflicted a mortal bite on the Cottager’s infant son.
After some time the Cottager, afraid that the Snake would bite him also, endeavored to make peace, and placed some bread and salt in the hole.
A DOG used to run up quietly to the heels of everyone he met, and to bite them without notice.
A BULL was bitten by a Mouse and, angered by the wound, tried to capture him.
Other matches
Learn bite in real texts
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