present participle
Closing your teeth on someone or something, or using your teeth to cut food.
The puppy is biting my shoe.
She is biting into a peach.
American English
How to pronounce biting
verb · noun · adjectiveA2Common word
BAIdihng
/ˈbaɪ.ɾɪŋ/
2 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
Form of bite
Biting can describe the action of using your teeth, or it can describe something sharply cold, strong-tasting, or critical.
Closing your teeth on someone or something, or using your teeth to cut food.
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
gerund
The act of closing your teeth on someone or something, or using your teeth to cut food.
Biting can damage your teeth.
Biting into the sandwich was difficult.
participial adjective
Using its teeth to hurt or cut someone or something.
The biting dog was kept away from the children.
Biting insects can spread disease.
adjective
Having a sharp, strong, and sometimes unpleasant taste.
The vinegar had a biting taste.
The biting taste of the vinegar made me wince.
Useful expressions
a small meal or some food
I need a bite to eat before the movie.
to stop yourself from saying something
I wanted to complain, but I bit my tongue.
to accept something difficult and do it
I'll bite the bullet and call the doctor.
Related words & forms
For the past, use bit; with have, use bitten. Before -ing, drop the final e: biting, not biteing.