See bite the bullet in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for bite the bullet meaning in English (6.9kB)
{
"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": "69 31",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
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"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "82 18",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
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"source": "w+disamb"
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{
"_dis": "64 36",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English predicates",
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"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "74 26",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"parents": [
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"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": "89 11",
"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": "89 11",
"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": "89 11",
"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": "89 11",
"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": "89 11",
"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": "89 11",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "encaisser"
},
{
"_dis1": "89 11",
"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": "89 11",
"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": "89 11",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "ingoiare il rospo"
},
{
"_dis1": "89 11",
"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": "89 11",
"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": "89 11",
"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": "89 11",
"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": "89 11",
"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": "89 11",
"code": "sk",
"lang": "Slovak",
"sense": "accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.",
"word": "zaťať zuby"
},
{
"_dis1": "89 11",
"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"
}
],
"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": "quotation"
}
],
"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",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Bite the bullet"
],
"word": "bite the bullet"
}
{
"categories": [
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English predicates",
"English terms with audio links",
"English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"English verbs"
],
"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": "quotation"
}
],
"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",
"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",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"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"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-30 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (210104c and c9440ce). 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.
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