bite off

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bite off

/ˈbaɪˌtɒf/ UK
/ˈbaɪˌtɔːf/ UK

verb bites off · biting off · bit off · bitten off

To bite so hard as to remove something from its source. Then she cocked her head back, opened her mouth, and bit off the trout's top half.
idiomatic, sometimes, transitive, followed by on To accept or commit oneself to a task, project, notion, or responsibility, especially one which presents challenges. In between what she called the "goody-good" or "frilly-knickers" Hollywood films, she bit off some more demanding parts back home.
Similar: accept, attempt, tackle, undertake
idiomatic, transitive To acquire, especially in an abrupt or forceful manner. To thicken that buffer zone Britain joined other powers in biting off larger chunks of China.
Similar: appropriate, grab

Translations

Every language

verb To remove by biting

Deutsch	abbeißen

verb To accept or commit oneself to a task, project, notion, or responsibility

Français	se dévouer, se casser le cul, se décarcasser

verb To acquire, especially in an abrupt or forceful manner

Français	saisir, s'emparer

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MLA

"bite off." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/bite%20off. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

bite off. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/bite%20off

Chicago

"bite off." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/bite%20off.

BibTeX

@misc{bite_off_2026,
  title = {bite off},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/bite%20off},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}