bitey

English

Etymology

From bite +‎ -y. Compare West Frisian bitsich (“snappy”), Saterland Frisian bieterg (“snappish”), German Low German bittsig (“snappy”), German bissig (“snappy, snappish”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaɪti/
  • (General American) IPA^(key): [ˈbaɪ̯ɾi]

Adjective

bitey (comparative bitier, superlative bitiest)

1. (informal) Inclined to bite.
   • 2005, Tom Widdicombe, Be with Your Horse: Getting to the Heart of Horsemanship:

     So when someone tells you their little trick for dealing with a bitey horse, just remember that that is what it is — a little trick.

   • 2006, Sean Dooley, The Big Twitch: One Man, One Continent, a Race Against Time:

     It has all the beauty of an idyllic tropical island without any of the nasty, bitey stuff.

Derived terms

• biteyness