Dictionary

bite the dust en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (euphemistic, idiomatic) To die.
   • Tons of engine sheds would bite the dust with the end of steam, and many would be demolished with their time in the spotlight over. We're lucky that the one at Didcot survived into preservation. 2021 December 29, Stephen Roberts, “Stories and facts behind railway plaques: Didcot (1932)”, in RAIL, number 947, page 61:
   • Three more warriors bit the dust... 1877, Frances Fuller Victor, Eleven years in the Rocky Mountains and a life on the frontier, Chapter IX, p. 156
   • Ulysses killed Demoptolemus, Telemachus Euryades, Eumæus Elatus, while the stockman killed Pisander. These all bit the dust, and as the others drew back into a corner Ulysses and his men rushed forward and regained their spears by drawing them from the bodies of the dead 1900, Samuel Butler, transl. The Odyssey, Book XXII., page 293
2. (idiomatic) To quit, or fail.
   • London calling, now don't look to us / Phony Beatlemania has bitten the dust 1979, “London Calling”, The Clash (music):
   • My old backpack finally bit the dust the other day.

Forms

Deriveds

another one bites the dust

Translations (54)

it mangiare la polvere (to quit or fail) · it essere sconfitto (to quit or fail) · fi sanoa sopimuksensa irti (to quit or fail) · tr dünyaya gözlerini yummak (to die) · fr crever (to die) · es morder el polvo (to quit or fail) · ta மண்ணைக் கவ்வு (to quit or fail) · nb bite i graset (to die) · ia morder le pulvere (to die) · it tirare le cuoia (to die) · cs dat kožu (to quit or fail) · ru да́ть ду́ба (to die) · nb bite i graset (to quit or fail) · fi heittää veivinsä (to die) · nn bite i graset (to die) · es morder el polvo (to die) · de ins Gras beißen (to quit or fail) · grc ὀδὰξ αἱρέω γαῖαν (to die) · pt ir desta para a melhor (to die) · fr lâcher (to quit or fail) · sv bita i gräset (to quit or fail) · pl spaść z rowerka (to die) · sv bita i gräset (to die) · te మట్టి కరుచు (to die) · tr can vermek (to die) · ru сыгра́ть в я́щик (to die) · pl kopnąć w kalendarz (to die) · cs natáhnout bačkory (to die) · grc ὀδὰξ αἱρέω οὖδας (to die) · ru накры́ться (to quit or fail) · it mordere la terra (to die) · de ins Gras beißen (to die) · it fallire (to quit or fail) · grc ὀδὰξ λάζομαι γαῖαν (to die) · tr nalları dikmek (to die) · nb bite i gresset (to die) · nn bite i graset (to quit or fail) · tr canı çıkmak (to die) · el βλέπω τα ραδίκια ανάποδα (to die) · fr calancher (to die) · fi potkaista tyhjää (to die) · fr claquer (to die) · fr mordre la poussière (to quit or fail) · ia morder le pulvere (to quit or fail) · da bide i graesset (to die) · nl in het zand bijten (to die) · cs zaklepat bačkorama (to die) · nb bite i gresset (to quit or fail) · es morder la tierra (to die) · cs rozbít se (to quit or fail) · cmn 一敗塗地 /一败涂地 (to quit or fail) · cmn 報廢 /报废 (to quit or fail) · ro da colțul (to die) · fr avaler son extrait de naissance (to die)