bitter

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbɪtə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈbɪtəɹ/, [ˈbɪɾɚ]
• Hyphenation: bit‧ter

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɪtə(r)
• Homophone: bidder (in some dialects)

From Middle English bitter, from Old English bitter, biter (“bitter”), from Proto-Germanic *bitraz (“bitter”), equivalent to bite +‎ -er (adjectival suffix). Compare Saterland Frisian bitter (“bitter”), West Frisian bitter (“bitter”), Dutch bitter (“bitter”), Low German bitter (“bitter”), German bitter (“bitter”), Swedish bitter (“bitter”), Icelandic bitur (“bitter”).

bitter (comparative bitterer or more bitter, superlative bitterest or most bitter)

1. Having an acrid taste (usually from a basic substance).

   The coffee tasted bitter.

   • 1907, Robert William Chambers, chapter III, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, OCLC 24962326:

     Long after his cigar burnt bitter, he sat with eyes fixed on the blaze. When the flames at last began to flicker and subside, his lids fluttered, then drooped; but he had lost all reckoning of time when he opened them again to find Miss Erroll in furs and ball-gown kneeling on the hearth […].

   • 2018 May 16, Adam Rogers, Wired, "The Fundamental Nihilism of Yanny vs. Laurel":

     A few types of molecules get sensed by receptors on the tongue. Protons coming off of acids ping receptors for "sour." Sugars get received as "sweet." Bitter, salty, and the proteinaceous flavor umami all set off their own neural cascades.

2. Harsh, piercing or stinging.
   • 1999, Neil Gaiman, Stardust, p.31 (Perennial paperback edition)

     It was at the end of February, […] when the world was cold, and a bitter wind howled down the moors […].

3. Hateful or hostile.

   They're bitter enemies.

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

     He inveighed against the folly of making oneself liable for the debts of others; vented many bitter execrations against the brother; and concluded with wishing something could be done for the unfortunate family.

   • Bible, Colossians iii. 19

     Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

4. Cynical and resentful.

   I've been bitter ever since that defeat.

• The one-word comparative form bitterer and superlative form bitterest exist, but are less common than their two-word counterparts more bitter and most bitter.

• (cynical and resentful): jaded

• (cynical and resentful): optimistic

• bitter pill to swallow
• bittersome

• Sranan Tongo: bita

• bitter end

bitter (countable and uncountable, plural bitters)

1. (usually in the plural bitters) A liquid or powder, made from bitter herbs, used in mixed drinks or as a tonic.
   • 1773, Oliver Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer

     Thus I begin: "All is not gold that glitters,

     "Pleasure seems sweet, but proves a glass of bitters.

2. A type of beer heavily flavored with hops.
3. (nautical) A turn of a cable about the bitts.

• (beer): English pale ale, EPA

• brought up to a bitter

bitter (third-person singular simple present bitters, present participle bittering, simple past and past participle bittered)

1. To make bitter.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Wolcott to this entry?)

bit +‎ -er

bitter (plural bitters)

1. (computing, informal, in combination) A hardware system whose architecture is based around units of the specified number of bits (binary digits).
   • 1983, Computerworld (volume 17, number 49, page 21)

     However, 16-bitters are far more expensive than the 8-bit variety. And, unfortunately, have only a handful of business applications software packages that really take advantage of them.

   • 1984, Electronic Business (volume 10, page 154)

     The company believes that the 32-bit market will almost equal that of 16-bitters by the end of the decade. Chip maker Zilog Inc., not a major player in the 16-bit arena, is even more bullish about 32-bitters as it readies its own version for market.

Borrowed from Middle Low German bitter.

bitter

1. bitter (all meanings)

• bitterhed
• forbitret

bitter c (singular definite bitteren, plural indefinite bittere)

1. bitter (the liquid used in drinks)
2. A bitter form of an aquavit

Borrowed from English bitter.

bitter c

1. bitter (type of beer - only known generally in Denmark for a few years)

From Middle Dutch bitter, from Old Dutch bitter, from Proto-Germanic *bitraz.

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɪtər/

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• Hyphenation: bit‧ter
• Rhymes: -ɪtər

bitter (comparative bitterder, superlative bitterst)

1. bitter (having an acrid taste)
2. bitter, embittered

• verbitterd

• (tastes) smaak; bitter, zoet, zout, zuur ^{(Category: nl:Taste)}

bitter m or n (plural bitters, diminutive bittertje n)

1. A type of strong spirits made from jenever.

• bitterbal
• oranjebitter

• → Sranan Tongo: bita

bitter

1. bitter (type of beer)

• IPA^(key): /bi.te/

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• Audio

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bitter

1. (transitive, slang) to understand, usually used in negative form and especially with rien.

   J’ai rien bitté au cours.

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)

• comprendre

From Middle High German bitter, pitter, from Old High German bittar, from Proto-Germanic *bitraz. Compare Low German bitter, Dutch bitter, English bitter, Swedish bitter, Icelandic bitur.

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɪ.tɐ/

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bitter (comparative bitterer, superlative am bittersten)

1. bitter

(tastes) Geschmack; bitter, salzig, sauer, süß ^{(Category: de:Taste)}

• bitterkalt
• bittersüß
• Bitterkeit
• verbittern

bitter

1. bitterly

• verbittert

• bitter in Duden online

bitter m (invariable)

1. bitters

From Old Dutch bitter, from Proto-Germanic *bitraz.

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɪtːər/

bitter

1. bitter (taste)
2. sad, painful

This adjective needs an inflection-table template.

• Dutch: bitter
• Limburgish: bitter

• “bitter”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• “bitter”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, 1929

From Middle Low German bitter and Old Norse bitr

bitter (neuter singular bittert, definite singular and plural bitre, comparative bitrere, indefinite superlative bitrest, definite superlative bitreste)

1. bitter

• bitterhet

• “bitter” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

From Middle Low German bitter and Old Norse bitr

bitter (neuter singular bittert, definite singular and plural bitre, comparative bitrare, indefinite superlative bitrast, definite superlative bitraste)

1. bitter

• “bitter” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

bitter

1. Alternative form of biter

• IPA^(key): /ˈbit.ter/

bitter

1. Alternative form of bittar

• Joseph Wright, An Old High German Primer

From Old Norse bitr (partly through the influence of Middle Low German bitter), from Proto-Germanic *bitraz.

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bitter (comparative bittrare, superlative bittrast)

1. bitter; having an acrid taste
2. bitter; hateful
3. bitter; resentful