See bite the bullet on Wiktionary
{
"etymology_text": "Possibly from the reported practice of soldiers biting a bullet to avoid crying out in pain, usually during a medical procedure or punishment. See the Wikipedia article Bite the bullet for a further discussion of possible etymologies.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "bites the bullet",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "biting the bullet",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "bit the bullet",
"tags": [
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "bitten the bullet",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "bite<,,bit,bitten> the bullet"
},
"expansion": "bite the bullet (third-person singular simple present bites the bullet, present participle biting the bullet, simple past bit the bullet, past participle bitten the bullet)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "bit between one's teeth"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "grit one's teeth"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "suck it up"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "take it like a man"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "take one's medicine"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "61 39",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English predicates",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To accept a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed."
],
"id": "en-bite_the_bullet-en-verb-a-mna-R0",
"links": [
[
"accept",
"accept"
],
[
"negative",
"negative"
],
[
"aspect",
"aspect"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) To accept a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed."
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "86 14",
"code": "ca",
"english": "swallow the toad",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "empassar-se el gripau"
},
{
"_dis1": "86 14",
"code": "da",
"english": "bite into the sour apple",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "bide i det sure æble"
},
{
"_dis1": "86 14",
"code": "nl",
"english": "bite into the sour apple",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "door de zure appel heen bijten"
},
{
"_dis1": "86 14",
"code": "fi",
"english": "bite the tooth",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "purra hammasta"
},
{
"_dis1": "86 14",
"code": "fr",
"english": "clench the teeth",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "serrer les dents"
},
{
"_dis1": "86 14",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "encaisser"
},
{
"_dis1": "86 14",
"code": "de",
"english": "bite into the sour apple",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "in den sauren Apfel beißen"
},
{
"_dis1": "86 14",
"code": "is",
"english": "bite into the sour apple",
"lang": "Icelandic",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "bíta í það súra epli"
},
{
"_dis1": "86 14",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "ingoiare il rospo"
},
{
"_dis1": "86 14",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "fare buon viso a cattiva sorte"
},
{
"_dis1": "86 14",
"code": "no",
"english": "bite into the sour apple",
"lang": "Norwegian",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "bite i det sure eple"
},
{
"_dis1": "86 14",
"code": "pl",
"english": "clench the teeth",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "zacisnąć zęby"
},
{
"_dis1": "86 14",
"code": "ru",
"english": "clench the teeth",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "stísnutʹ zúby",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "сти́снуть зу́бы"
},
{
"_dis1": "86 14",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"note": "проглоти́ть го́рькую пилю́лю pf (proglotítʹ górʹkuju piljúlju, literally “to swallow a bitter pill”)",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed."
},
{
"_dis1": "86 14",
"code": "sk",
"lang": "Slovak",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "zaťať zuby"
},
{
"_dis1": "86 14",
"code": "sv",
"english": "bite into the sour apple",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "bita i det sura äpplet"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Philosophy",
"orig": "en:Philosophy",
"parents": [
"All topics",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "38 62",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "21 79",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Entries with translation boxes",
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"source": "w+disamb"
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{
"_dis": "26 74",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
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"source": "w+disamb"
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{
"_dis": "17 83",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
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{
"_dis": "29 71",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Catalan translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
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{
"_dis": "22 78",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Danish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
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{
"_dis": "27 73",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "27 73",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "29 71",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with French translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "27 73",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with German translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "29 71",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Icelandic translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
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{
"_dis": "25 75",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Italian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "29 71",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Norwegian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
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{
"_dis": "33 67",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Polish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "23 77",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Russian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "29 71",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Slovak translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "29 71",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2014 June 12, C. Stephen Evans, David Baggett, “Moral Arguments for the Existence of God”, in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:",
"text": "With respect to the status of infants and those suffering from dementia, the critic might bite the bullet and just accept the fact that human dignity does not extend to them, or else argue that the fact that infants and those suffering mental breakdown are part of a species whose members typically possess rationality merits them a special respect, even if they lack this quality as individuals.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To accept an undesirable or counterintuitive implication of an argument or view."
],
"id": "en-bite_the_bullet-en-verb-4wmUT3M7",
"links": [
[
"philosophy",
"philosophy"
],
[
"accept",
"accept"
],
[
"undesirable",
"undesirable"
],
[
"counterintuitive",
"counterintuitive"
],
[
"implication",
"implication"
],
[
"argument",
"argument"
],
[
"view",
"view"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(philosophy) To accept an undesirable or counterintuitive implication of an argument or view."
],
"topics": [
"human-sciences",
"philosophy",
"sciences"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"audio": "en-au-bite the bullet.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/25/En-au-bite_the_bullet.ogg/En-au-bite_the_bullet.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/En-au-bite_the_bullet.ogg"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Bite the bullet"
],
"word": "bite the bullet"
}
{
"categories": [
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English predicates",
"English verbs",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Terms with Catalan translations",
"Terms with Danish translations",
"Terms with Dutch translations",
"Terms with Finnish translations",
"Terms with French translations",
"Terms with German translations",
"Terms with Icelandic translations",
"Terms with Italian translations",
"Terms with Norwegian translations",
"Terms with Polish translations",
"Terms with Russian translations",
"Terms with Slovak translations",
"Terms with Swedish translations"
],
"etymology_text": "Possibly from the reported practice of soldiers biting a bullet to avoid crying out in pain, usually during a medical procedure or punishment. See the Wikipedia article Bite the bullet for a further discussion of possible etymologies.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "bites the bullet",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "biting the bullet",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "bit the bullet",
"tags": [
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "bitten the bullet",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "bite<,,bit,bitten> the bullet"
},
"expansion": "bite the bullet (third-person singular simple present bites the bullet, present participle biting the bullet, simple past bit the bullet, past participle bitten the bullet)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"related": [
{
"word": "bit between one's teeth"
},
{
"word": "grit one's teeth"
},
{
"word": "suck it up"
},
{
"word": "take it like a man"
},
{
"word": "take one's medicine"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English idioms"
],
"glosses": [
"To accept a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed."
],
"links": [
[
"accept",
"accept"
],
[
"negative",
"negative"
],
[
"aspect",
"aspect"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) To accept a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed."
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"en:Philosophy"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2014 June 12, C. Stephen Evans, David Baggett, “Moral Arguments for the Existence of God”, in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:",
"text": "With respect to the status of infants and those suffering from dementia, the critic might bite the bullet and just accept the fact that human dignity does not extend to them, or else argue that the fact that infants and those suffering mental breakdown are part of a species whose members typically possess rationality merits them a special respect, even if they lack this quality as individuals.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To accept an undesirable or counterintuitive implication of an argument or view."
],
"links": [
[
"philosophy",
"philosophy"
],
[
"accept",
"accept"
],
[
"undesirable",
"undesirable"
],
[
"counterintuitive",
"counterintuitive"
],
[
"implication",
"implication"
],
[
"argument",
"argument"
],
[
"view",
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]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(philosophy) To accept an undesirable or counterintuitive implication of an argument or view."
],
"topics": [
"human-sciences",
"philosophy",
"sciences"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"audio": "en-au-bite the bullet.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/25/En-au-bite_the_bullet.ogg/En-au-bite_the_bullet.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/En-au-bite_the_bullet.ogg"
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"translations": [
{
"code": "ca",
"english": "swallow the toad",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "empassar-se el gripau"
},
{
"code": "da",
"english": "bite into the sour apple",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "bide i det sure æble"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"english": "bite into the sour apple",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "door de zure appel heen bijten"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"english": "bite the tooth",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "purra hammasta"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"english": "clench the teeth",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "serrer les dents"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "encaisser"
},
{
"code": "de",
"english": "bite into the sour apple",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "in den sauren Apfel beißen"
},
{
"code": "is",
"english": "bite into the sour apple",
"lang": "Icelandic",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "bíta í það súra epli"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "ingoiare il rospo"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "fare buon viso a cattiva sorte"
},
{
"code": "no",
"english": "bite into the sour apple",
"lang": "Norwegian",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "bite i det sure eple"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"english": "clench the teeth",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "zacisnąć zęby"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"english": "clench the teeth",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "stísnutʹ zúby",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "сти́снуть зу́бы"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"note": "проглоти́ть го́рькую пилю́лю pf (proglotítʹ górʹkuju piljúlju, literally “to swallow a bitter pill”)",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed."
},
{
"code": "sk",
"lang": "Slovak",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "zaťať zuby"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"english": "bite into the sour apple",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "bita i det sura äpplet"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Bite the bullet"
],
"word": "bite the bullet"
}
Download raw JSONL data for bite the bullet meaning in All languages combined (6.3kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (8a39820 and 4401a4c). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.