To bite is to use your teeth to cut into or hold something, such as food or another object. Animals and people can also bite in anger, fear, or defense.
From Old English “bītan,” meaning “to bite,” from a Proto-Germanic root with the same meaning. It is related to words about cutting and hurting.
“Bite” shows up in many metaphors because teeth are powerful tools: a story can have “bite,” or cold weather can have a “biting” wind. We borrow the physical feeling of sharpness to describe emotional or sensory intensity.
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