bitter

bitter
\ \ [OE] Old English biter appears to have come from *bit-, the short-vowel version of *bīt-, source of bite. Its original meaning would thus have been ‘biting’, and although there do not seem to be any traces of this left in the historical record, the sense development to ‘acrid-tasting’ is fairly straightforward (compare the similar case of sharp).
\ \ It seems likely that the bitter of ‘bitter end’ comes from a different source altogether, although in its current meaning it appears to have been influenced by the adjective bitter. A bitter was originally a ‘turn of a cable round the bitts’, and a bitt was a ‘post on the deck of a ship for fastening cables to’. It is not clear where bitt came from, although it was probably originally a seafarer’s term from the north German coast, and it may be related to English boat. Thus in the first instance ‘to the bitter end’ probably meant ‘to the very end, as far as it is possible to go’.
\ \ Cf.BITE

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Bitter SC — Bitter Bitter SC Coupé (1981–1989) SC Hersteller: Bitter Automobile Produktionszeitraum …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Bitter CD — Bitter Bitter CD CD Hersteller: Bitter Produktionszeitraum: 1973–197 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Bitter — Bit ter, a. [AS. biter; akin to Goth. baitrs, Icel. bitr, Dan., Sw., D., & G. bitter, OS. bittar, fr. root of E. bite. See {Bite}, v. t.] 1. Having a peculiar, acrid, biting taste, like that of wormwood or an infusion of hops; as, a bitter… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Bitter — Bitter, er, ste, adj. et adv. was auf der Zunge beißt, eine gewisse beißende Empfindung auf der Zunge verursacht, von dem Geschmacke. 1. Eigentlich. Das schmeckt bitter. Bitter wie Galle. Bitter wie Wermuth. Bittere Mandeln. Das bittere Wasser… …   Grammatisch-kritisches Wörterbuch der Hochdeutschen Mundart

  • bitter — BÍTTER s.n. Băutură alcoolică preparată prin macerarea anumitor substanţe în alcool de ienupere. [Scris şi biter. / < fr., engl. bitter, germ. Bitter, cf. ol. bitter – amar]. Trimis de LauraGellner, 19.11.2004. Sursa: DN  bítter (germ.) [e… …   Dicționar Român

  • bitter — bitter: Das altgerm. Adjektiv mhd. bitter, ahd. bittar, niederl. bitter, engl. bitter, schwed. bitter steht im Ablaut zu got. baitrs »bitter« und gehört mit diesem zu der Wortgruppe um ↑ beißen. Die Adjektivbildung bedeutete demnach ursprünglich… …   Das Herkunftswörterbuch

  • bitter — [bit′ər] adj. [ME < OE biter, akin to bītan,BITE] 1. designating or having a sharp, often unpleasant taste; acrid, as quinine or peach stones 2. causing or showing sorrow, discomfort, or pain; grievous 3. sharp and disagreeable; harsh; severe; …   English World dictionary

  • Bitter — can refer to: * Bitterness, one of the five basic tastes * Bitter (beer), a kind of ale particularly popular in Britain * Bitters, an herbal preparation now used mostly in cocktails * Bitter Cars, a German car company * Bitterness, an emotion… …   Wikipedia

  • Bitter — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Abreviatura científica para el botánico Friedrich August Georg Bitter 1873 1927 La Bitter es un tipo de cerveza inglesa, derivada originalmente de la Pale Ale (cerveza inglesa pálida). Una versión más fuerte de la… …   Wikipedia Español

  • bitter — Adj std. (8. Jh.), mhd. bitter, ahd. bittar, as. bittar Stammwort. Aus g. * bit ra Adj. bitter , auch in anord. bitr, ae. biter neben dem hochstufigen * bait ra gleicher Bedeutung in gt. baitrs und * baiska (aus * bait ska ) in anord. beiskr.… …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • bitter — (adj.) O.E. biter bitter, sharp, cutting; angry, embittered; cruel, from P.Gmc. *bitras (Cf. O.S. bittar, O.N. bitr, Du. bitter, O.H.G. bittar, Ger. bitter, Goth. baitrs bitter ), from PIE root *bheid to split (Cf. O.E. bitan …   Etymology dictionary

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