Definition of To bite the thumb at. Meaning of To bite the thumb at. Synonyms of To bite the thumb at

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Definition of To bite the thumb at

To bite the thumb at
Bite Bite, v. t. [imp. Bit; p. p. Bitten, 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.] 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. Such smiling rogues as these, Like rats, oft bite the holy cords atwain. --Shak. 2. To puncture, abrade, or sting with an organ (of some insects) used in taking food. 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. 4. To cheat; to trick; to take in. [Colloq.] --Pope. 5. To take hold of; to hold fast; to adhere to; as, the anchor bites the ground. The last screw of the rack having been turned so often that its purchase crumbled, . . . it turned and turned with nothing to bite. --Dickens. 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.

Meaning of To bite the thumb at from wikipedia

- involving exposing only the thumb in a vertical orientation—a thumbs up—is used instead of the finger to express roughly the same sentiment – roughly...
- Tom Thumb is a character of English folklore. The History of Tom Thumb was published in 1621 and was the first fairy tale printed in English. Tom is no...
- lends itself to the Ilocano word for nightmare, "batíbat" (or bangungot in Tagalog). To ward off the batibat, one should bite one's thumb or wiggle one's...
- Sampson are the Ca****t servants. Gregory is originally hesitant to start a fight. Sampson, however, bites his thumb at Abram, "Which is a disgrace to them,...
- other more common causes for open bites (such as tongue thrusting and thumb sucking) and likewise for deep bites. The upper or lower jaw can be overgrown...
- Thumb sucking is a behavior found in humans, chimpanzees, captive ring-tailed lemurs, and other primates. It usually involves placing the thumb into the...
- Knowledge, which allowed him to suck or bite his thumb in order to receive bursts of stupendous wisdom. He took his place as the leader of his band and numerous...
- venomous snake bites in the United States, and about five of those people die. Though most fatal bites are attributed to rattlesnakes, the copperhead accounts...
- trained in the art of poetry, he accidentally burned his thumb while cooking the Salmon of Knowledge, which allowed him to suck or bite his thumb to receive...
- the buttocks with the tips of the fingers and thumb in imitation of a harmless bite on the butt from a goose. However, the kanchō prank may also be known...