Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

bite the dust

 - 12 dictionary results
Low Prices at Amazon MP3
Another One Bites The Dust Downloads for any MP3 player
Amazon.com/MP3
Bites Dust Cheap
Best Value on Bites Dust. Find NexTag Sellers' Lowest Price!
www.NexTag.com
Bites
Get the Answers You're Looking For. Bites
www.RightHealth.com

bite

  [bahyt] verb, bit, bit⋅ten or bit, bit⋅ing, noun
Use bite the dust in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to cut, wound, or tear with the teeth: She bit the apple greedily. The lion bit his trainer.
2. to grip or hold with the teeth: Stop biting your lip!
3. to sting, as does an insect.
4. to cause to smart or sting: an icy wind that bit our faces.
5. to sever with the teeth (often fol. by off): Don't bite your nails. The child bit off a large piece of the candy bar.
6. to start to eat (often fol. by into): She bit into her steak.
7. to clamp the teeth firmly on or around (often fol. by on): He bit hard on the stick while they removed the bullet from his leg.
8. Informal.
a. to take advantage of; cheat; deceive: I got bitten in a mail-order swindle.
b. to annoy or upset; anger: What's biting you, sorehead?
9. to eat into or corrode, as does an acid.
10. to cut or pierce with, or as with, a weapon: The sword split his helmet and bit him fatally.
11. Etching. to etch with acid (a copper or other surface) in such parts as are left bare of a protective coating.
12. to take firm hold or act effectively on: We need a clamp to bite the wood while the glue dries.
13. Archaic. to make a decided impression on; affect.
–verb (used without object)
14. to press the teeth into something; attack with the jaws, bill, sting, etc.; snap: Does your parrot bite?
15. Angling. (of fish) to take bait: The fish aren't biting today.
16. to accept an offer or suggestion, esp. one intended to trick or deceive: I knew it was a mistake, but I bit anyway.
17. Informal. to admit defeat in guessing: I'll bite, who is it?
18. to act effectively; grip; hold: This wood is so dry the screws don't bite.
19. Slang. to be notably repellent, disappointing, poor, etc.; suck.
–noun
20. an act of biting.
21. a wound made by biting: a deep bite.
22. a cutting, stinging, or nipping effect: the bite of an icy wind; the bite of whiskey on the tongue.
23. a piece bitten off: Chew each bite carefully.
24. a small meal: Let's have a bite before the theater.
25. a portion severed from the whole: the government's weekly bite of my paycheck.
26. a morsel of food: not a bite to eat.
27. the occlusion of one's teeth: The dentist said I had a good bite.
28. Machinery.
a. the catch or hold that one object or one part of a mechanical apparatus has on another.
b. a surface brought into contact to obtain a hold or grip, as in a lathe chuck or similar device.
c. the amount of material that a mechanical shovel or the like can carry at one time.
29. sharpness; incisiveness; effectiveness: The bite of his story is spoiled by his slovenly style.
30. the roughness of the surface of a file.
31. Metalworking. the maximum angle, measured from the center of a roll in a rolling mill, between a perpendicular and a line to the point of contact where a given object to be rolled will enter between the rolls.
—Idioms
32. bite off more than one can chew, to attempt something that exceeds one's capacity: In trying to build a house by himself, he bit off more than he could chew.
33. bite someone's head off, to respond with anger or impatience to someone's question or comment: He'll bite your head off if you ask for anything.
34. bite the bullet. bullet (def. 7).
35. bite the dust. dust (def. 21).
36. bite the hand that feeds one, to repay kindness with malice or injury: When he berates his boss, he is biting the hand that feeds him.
37. put the bite on, Slang.
a. to solicit or attempt to borrow money or something of value from.
b. to press for money, as in extortion: They found out about his prison record and began to put the bite on him.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME biten, OE bītan; c. OHG bīzan (G beissen), Goth beitan, ON bīta; akin to L findere to split

Related forms:
bit⋅a⋅ble, bite⋅a⋅ble, adjective

Synonyms:
1. gnaw, chew, nip. 22. mouthful, morsel, taste; scrap, crumb, dab. 23. snack, nosh.
Low Prices at Amazon MP3
Another One Bites The Dust Downloads for any MP3 player
Amazon.com/MP3
Bites Dust Cheap
Best Value on Bites Dust. Find NexTag Sellers' Lowest Price!
www.NexTag.com

dust

  [duhst]
–noun
1. earth or other matter in fine, dry particles.
2. a cloud of finely powdered earth or other matter in the air.
3. any finely powdered substance, as sawdust.
4. the ground; the earth's surface.
5. the substance to which something, as the dead human body, is ultimately reduced by disintegration or decay; earthly remains.
6. British.
a. ashes, refuse, etc.
b. junk 1 (def. 1).
7. a low or humble condition.
8. anything worthless.
9. disturbance; turmoil.
10. gold dust.
11. the mortal body of a human being.
12. a single particle or grain.
13. Archaic. money; cash.
–verb (used with object)
14. to wipe the dust from: to dust a table.
15. to sprinkle with a powder or dust: to dust rosebushes with an insecticide.
16. to strew or sprinkle (a powder, dust, or other fine particles): to dust insecticide on a rosebush.
17. to soil with dust; make dusty.
–verb (used without object)
18. to wipe dust from furniture, woodwork, etc.
19. to become dusty.
20. to apply dust or powder to a plant, one's body, etc.: to dust with an insecticide in late spring.
—Idioms
21. bite the dust,
a. to be killed, esp. in battle; die.
b. to suffer defeat; be unsuccessful; fail: Another manufacturer has bitten the dust.
22. dust off,
a. Baseball. (of a pitcher) to throw the ball purposely at or dangerously close to (the batter).
b. to take out or prepare for use again, as after a period of inactivity or storage: I'm going to dust off my accounting skills and try to get a job in the finance department.
c. to beat up badly: The gang of hoodlums dusted off a cop.
23. leave one in the dust, to overtake and surpass a competitor or one who is less ambitious, qualified, etc.: Don't be so meek, they'll leave you in the dust.
24. lick the dust,
a. to be killed; die.
b. to humble oneself abjectly; grovel: He will resign rather than lick the dust.
25. make the dust fly, to execute with vigor or speed: We turned them loose on the work, and they made the dust fly.
26. shake the dust from one's feet, to depart in anger or disdain; leave decisively or in haste, esp. from an unpleasant situation: As the country moved toward totalitarianism, many of the intelligentsia shook the dust from their feet.
27. throw dust in someone's eyes, to mislead; deceive: He threw dust in our eyes by pretending to be a jeweler and then disappeared with the diamonds.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME; OE dūst; c. G Dunst vapor

Related forms:
dustless, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To bite the dust
bite   (bīt)   
v.   bit (bĭt), bit·ten (bĭt'n) or bit, bit·ing, bites

v.   tr.

  1. To cut, grip, or tear with or as if with the teeth.

    1. To pierce the skin of with the teeth, fangs, or mouthparts.

    2. To sting with a stinger.

  3. To cut into with or as if with a sharp instrument: The ax bit the log deeply.

  4. To grip, grab, or seize: bald treads that couldn't bite the icy road; bitten by a sudden desire to travel.

  5. To eat into; corrode.

  6. To cause to sting or be painful: cold that bites the skin; a conscience bitten by remorse.

v.   intr.

  1. To grip, cut into, or injure something with or as if with the teeth.

  2. To have a stinging effect.

  3. To have a sharp taste.

  4. To take or swallow bait.

  5. To be taken in by a ploy or deception: tried to sell the Brooklyn Bridge, but no one bit.

  6. Vulgar Slang To be highly disagreeable or annoying.

n.  

  1. The act of biting.

  2. A skin wound or puncture produced by an animal's teeth or mouthparts: the bite of an insect.

    1. A stinging or smarting sensation.

    2. An incisive, penetrating quality: the bite of satire.

    3. An amount of food taken into the mouth at one time; a mouthful.

    4. Informal A light meal or snack.

    5. A secure grip or hold applied by a tool or machine upon a working surface.

    6. The part of a tool or machine that presses against and maintains a firm hold on a working surface.

  4. An amount removed by or as if by an act of biting: Rezoning took a bite out of the town's residential area.

  5. An excerpt or fragment taken from something larger, such as a film.

    1. An amount of food taken into the mouth at one time; a mouthful.

    2. Informal A light meal or snack.

    3. A secure grip or hold applied by a tool or machine upon a working surface.

    4. The part of a tool or machine that presses against and maintains a firm hold on a working surface.

  7. The act or an instance of taking bait: fished all day without a bite; an ad that got a few bites but no final sales.

    1. A secure grip or hold applied by a tool or machine upon a working surface.

    2. The part of a tool or machine that presses against and maintains a firm hold on a working surface.

  9. Dentistry The angle at which the upper and lower teeth meet; occlusion.

  10. The corrosive action of acid upon an etcher's metal plate.

  11. Slang An amount of money appropriated or withheld: trying to avoid the tax bite.


[Middle English biten, from Old English bītan; see bheid- in Indo-European roots.]
bit'a·ble, bite'a·ble adj., bit'er n.
Synonyms: These verbs mean to seize and tear or grind something with the teeth: bite into a ripe apple; a horse champing at its bit; a cow chomping its hay; a dog gnawing a bone.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Cultural Dictionary

bite the dust

Literally, to fall face down in the dirt; to suffer a defeat: “Once again, the champion wins, and another contender bites the dust.”

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary
bite

  1. in.
    to accept a deception; to fall for something; to respond to a come-on. : We put up a sign advertising free pop, but nobody bit.
  2. in.
    [for someone or something] to be bad or threatening. : My dad bites, but don't worry, he's in a good mood.
  3. in.
    to be irritating. (More severe than to suck,as in It sucks.) : This party bites. Sko.
  4. tv.
    to copy something without permission; to steal something. : Sue bit a copy of my term paper, and I almost got in trouble.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
bite the dust

  1. tv.
    to die. : A shot rang out, and another cowboy bit the dust.
  2. tv.
    to break; to fail; to give out. : My car finally bit the dust.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
dust

  1. in.
    to leave; to depart. : They dusted out of there at about midnight.
  2. tv.
    to defeat someone; to win out over someone. : We dusted the other team, eighty-seven to fifty-four.
  3. tv.
    to kill someone. (Underworld.) : The gang set out to dust the witnesses but got only one of them.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

bite 
O.E. bitan (class I strong verb; past tense bat, pp. biten), from P.Gmc. *bitan (O.Fris. bita, M.Du. biten, Ger. beissen, Goth. beitan), from PIE base *bheid- "to split, crack" (see fissure). Frostbitten is attested from 1552. To bite the bullet is 1700s military slang, from old medical custom of having the patient bite a bullet during an operation to divert attention from pain and reduce screaming. To bite (one's) tongue "refrain from speaking" is 1593. To bite the dust "die" is 1750. To bite off more than one can chew (c.1880) is U.S. slang, from plug tobacco.

dust  (n.)
O.E. dust, from P.Gmc. *dunstaz, from PIE *dheu- with a sense of "smoke, vapor" (cf. Skt. dhu- "shake," L. fumus "smoke"). The verb means both "to sprinkle with dust" (1592) and "to rid of dust" (1568). Sense of "to kill" is U.S. slang first recorded 1938. Dustbowl in reference to a drought-plagued region of the U.S. Midwest first recorded 1936. Dustup "fight" is from 1897; to dust (someone's) coat was ironical for "to beat (someone) soundly" (1690).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 2bite
Function: noun
1 : the act or manner of biting; especially : OCCLUSION 2a
2 : a wound made by biting
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

bite (bīt)
v. bit (bĭt), bit·ten (bĭt'n) or bit, bit·ing, bites

  1. To cut, grip, or tear with the teeth.

  2. To pierce the skin of with the teeth, fangs, or mouthparts.

n.

  1. The act of biting.

  2. A puncture or laceration of the skin by the teeth of an animal or the mouthparts of an insect or similar organism.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Idioms & Phrases

bite the dust

Suffer defeat or death, as in The 1990 election saw both of our senators bite the dust. Although this expression was popularized by American Western films of the 1930s, in which either cowboys or Indians were thrown from their horses to the dusty ground, it originated much earlier. Tobias Smollett had it in Gil Blas (1750): "We made two of them bite the dust."

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see bite the dust on Thesaurus | Reference
Bites
Get the Answers You're Looking For. Bites
www.RightHealth.com
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way