| 释义 |
bite (one's) nails bite (one's) nails1. Literally, to chew on one's fingernails and shorten them. I wish I didn't bite my nails, but it's been such a hard habit to try to break. My sister gets regular manicures to keep from biting her nails.2. To nervously await something. I've been biting my nails ever since I submitted my application for my first-choice college.See also: bite, nailbite one's nails 1. to use one's teeth to remove parts of one's fingernails as a means of shortening them. Stop biting your nails! Use clippers! 2. to literally bite one's nails from nervousness or anxiety; to be nervous or anxious. I spent all afternoon biting my nails, worrying about you. We've all been biting our nails from worry.See also: bite, nailbite one's nailsExhibit signs of anxiety, impatience, or nervousness, as in We'll be biting our nails till the jury comes back. Biting one's fingernails is a time-honored sign of emotional tension. The Roman satirist Horace described it about 35 b.c.: "As he wrought his verse he would often ... gnaw his nails to the quick" ( Satires, Book 1). See also: bite, nailbite your ˈnails/ˈfingernails feel very excited, nervous, or afraid ▶ ˈnail-biting adj. very exciting or tense: What an exciting movie that was — real nail-biting stuff!See also: bite, fingernail, nail |