biter

Agent noun of bite; someone or something who bites or tends to bite.

Noun agent, form of

  1. Agent noun of bite; someone or something who bites or tends to bite.
    • Not all dogs are biters.
    • My dislike was reinforced in 2016 when researchers discovered that more than three-quarters of the domestic boars and 40 per cent of wild boars they examined had bite injuries to their penises. The photos are horrific....
  2. A fish that tends to take bait.
    • She tried the same cast several times. I signaled her to switch flies. After two such changes we still couldn't move the fish. Some steelhead are biters; some are not. - 2007, John Shewey, On the Fly Guide to the...
  3. A person who takes up an offer or request.
    • I put up some fliers for the org but didn't get any biters
  4. A stone that barely touches the outside of the house.
  5. One who copies someone else's work, style or techniques, especially in hip-hop.
  6. A cheat or fraudster.
  7. A zombie.

Origin

From Middle English biter, bitere, equivalent to bite + -er. Cognate with West Frisian biter (“biter”), Dutch bijter (“biter”), German Low German Bieter (“biter”), German Beißer (“biter”).

Forms

biters

Derived

ankle biter ankle-biter backbiter back biter crib-biter cross-biter day-biter leg biter nail-biter nail biter neckbiter night-biter night biter ox-biter pillar-biter pillow-biter sheep-biter the biter bit toe-biter toe biter tyre biter wart-biter

Noun computing, engineering

  1. Something (a data unit, machine etc.) with a width of a specified amount of bits.
    • The first microprocessor was a 4-bit device called the 4004. Today you can buy 1-bit machines, 4-biters, 8-biters, 12-biters and 16-biters. Which one should you buy, and why? - 1978, Product Engineering, volume 49, page...
    • Didn't know it was an 8-biter first, cool. The ST Star Raiders is pretty cool - my fav one yet & worth any $5. - 1994 July 22, Jonathan T. Hunt, “ST Star Raiders”, in rec.games.video.atari (Usenet):

Origin

Etymology tree English bit Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzijos Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English biter From bit + -er.

Forms

biters

Related

bitter byter