To bite the dust

To bite the dust
Bite Bite (b[imac]t), v. t. [imp. {Bit} (b[i^]t); p. p. {Bitten} (b[i^]t"t'n), {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}.] [1913 Webster] 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. [1913 Webster]

Such smiling rogues as these, Like rats, oft bite the holy cords atwain. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

2. To puncture, abrade, or sting with an organ (of some insects) used in taking food. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

4. To cheat; to trick; to take in. [Colloq.] --Pope. [1913 Webster]

5. To take hold of; to hold fast; to adhere to; as, the anchor bites the ground. [1913 Webster]

The last screw of the rack having been turned so often that its purchase crumbled, . . . it turned and turned with nothing to bite. --Dickens. [1913 Webster]

{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. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • bite the dust — {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To be killed in battle. * /Captain Jones discharged his gun and another guerrilla bit the dust./ 2. To fall in defeat; go down before enemies; be overthrown; lose. * /Our team bit the dust today./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • bite the dust — {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To be killed in battle. * /Captain Jones discharged his gun and another guerrilla bit the dust./ 2. To fall in defeat; go down before enemies; be overthrown; lose. * /Our team bit the dust today./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • Bite The Dust — may refer to:*A figure of speech for DeathIn Music: *PCD (album) *Another One Bites the Dust, a song by Queen …   Wikipedia

  • bite the dust — ► bite the dust informal die or be killed. Main Entry: ↑bite …   English terms dictionary

  • bite the dust — This is a way of saying that somebody has died, especially if they are killed violently like a soldier in battle …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • bite the dust — 1. tv. to die. □ A shot rang out, and another cowboy bit the dust. D I’m too young to bite the dust. 2. tv. to break; to fail; to give out. □ My car finally bit the dust. □ This pen has bitten the dust …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • bite the dust —    to die    A synonym of lick the dust, and usually of violent death, although not necessarily after falling from your horse in a Western movie.    Rare figurative use:     .. .Jerry will unleash some devil s device and another brilliant… …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

  • To bite the dust — Dust Dust (d[u^]st), n. [AS. dust; cf. LG. dust, D. duist meal dust, OD. doest, donst, and G. dunst vapor, OHG. tunist, dunist, a blowing, wind, Icel. dust dust, Dan. dyst mill dust; perh. akin to L. fumus smoke, E. fume. [root]71.] 1. Fine, dry… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • bite the dust —    This is a way of saying that somebody has died, especially if they are killed violently like a soldier in battle.   (Dorking School Dictionary)    ***    This expression is used to talk about death in a light hearted way.    The expression… …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • bite the dust — 1. to fail or to stop existing. Three hundred more people lost their jobs in the same region when another firm bit the dust. She can t make it on Saturday? Oh, well, another good idea bites the dust! 2. to die. Two Hollywood stars of the thirties …   New idioms dictionary

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