BÍTAN

part. bítende; ic bíte, ðú bítest, bítst, he bíteþ, bítt, bít, pl. bítaþ; p. ic, he bát, ðú bite, pl. biton; pp. biten. I. to BITE with the teeth; mordere :-- Ic bíte mordeo, Ælfc. Gr. 26, 6; Som. 29, 10. Monnan ic ne bíte nymþe he me bíte I bite no man unless he bite me, Exon. 125 a; Th. 482, 9, 10; Rä. 66, 5. Ǽghwá bíteþ mec on bær líc every one bites me on the bare body, 125 a; Th. 482, 7; Rä. 66, 4. Monige mec bítaþ many bite me, 125 a; Th. 482, 12; Rä. 66, 6. Ðæt mǽden bát and totær ǽlcne ðe heó gerǽcan mihte the maiden bit and tore every one whom she could reach, Homl. Th. i. 458, 14: Beo. Th. 1488; B. 742. Biton [MS. byton] hine lýs lice bit him, Hexam. 17; Norm. 24, 30. Nim ðis ofæt, bít hit and byrge take this fruit, bite it and taste, Cd. 25; Th. 33, 12; Gen. 519. II. used metaphorically of the biting or wounding by a sword,-to cut, wound; cædere, vulnerare :-- Se gist onfand ðæt se beadoleóma bítan nolde the guest found that the war-beam [the sword] would not wound, Beo. Th. 3051; B. 1523: 2913; B. 1454. Sió ecg gewác, bát unswíðor the edge [of the sword] failed, cut less sharply, 5150; B. 2578. Ðeáh mec heard bite stíðecg stýle though the stiff-edge steel wounded me greatly, Exon. 130 a; Th. 499, 10; Rä. 88, 13. [Chauc. Wyc. bite: R. Glouc. byten: Laym. biten: Orm. bítenn: Northumb. bíta discerpere: Plat. biten: O. Sax. bítan: O. Frs. bita: Dut. bijten: Ger. beiszen: M. H. Ger. bízen: O. H. Ger. bízan: Goth. beitan: Dan. bide: Swed. bita: Icel. bíta: Sansk. bhid findere, perforare.] DER. a-bítan, on-. bitan