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bite the dust

To quit, or fail or lose any chances of success

Etymology:

  • This definition expands on the original definition which literally means to die. This idiom has its origin belong to Trojan warriors, who died during the war. It was thought that lots of people were dying during that era and most of them fell on earth. When their faces hit the ground their faces were covered with dust, especially their lips. It was thought that they got in contact with dust and used to bite their teeth due to pain of death, during the final moments. This idiom was used by English people also in the 18th century and it is used to describe enemies or unwanted people dying.
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My old backpack finally bit the dust the other day.

Submitted on September 01, 2009

Modified by TriplePurple on December 05, 2023

Additional definitions for 'bite the dust':

bite the dustdie
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    "bite the dust." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/bite-the-dust_2413>.

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