Sting vs. Bite — What's the Difference?

An incisive remark or situation.

A wound made by biting.

Injection of venom by an insect.

A sharp or pungent flavor.

To pierce or affect with a sharp pain.

An act of cutting or holding with the teeth.

A sharp, burning pain sensation.

The grip or hold applied by the teeth.

A pointed part of an insect used to inject venom.

To cut, wound, or tear with the teeth.

To pierce or wound painfully with a sharp-pointed structure or organ, as that of certain insects.

(of a person or animal) use the teeth to cut into something

To cause to feel a sharp, smarting pain

(of a tool, tyre, boot, etc.) grip or take hold on a surface

To cause to suffer keenly in the mind or feelings

An act of biting something in order to eat it

To spur on or stimulate by sharp irritation

A piece cut off by biting

(Slang) To cheat or overcharge.

A sharp or pungent flavour

To have, use, or wound with a sharp-pointed structure or organ

To cut, grip, or tear with or as if with the teeth.

To cause a sharp, smarting pain

To pierce the skin of with the teeth, fangs, or mouthparts.

The act of stinging.

To sting with a stinger.

The wound or pain caused by stinging.

To cut into with or as if with a sharp instrument

A sharp, piercing organ or part, often ejecting a venomous secretion, as the modified ovipositor of a bee or wasp or the spine of certain fishes.

To grip, grab, or seize

A hurtful quality or power

To eat into; corrode.

A keen stimulus or incitement; a goad or spur

To cause to sting or be painful

(Slang) A confidence game, especially one implemented by undercover agents to apprehend criminals.

To grip, cut into, or injure something with or as if with the teeth.

A bump left on the skin after having been stung.

To have a stinging effect.

A puncture made by an insect or arachnid in an attack, usually including the injection of venom.

To have a sharp taste.

A pointed portion of an insect or arachnid used for attack.

To take or swallow bait.

A sharp, localised pain primarily on the epidermis

To be taken in by a ploy or deception

(botany) A sharp-pointed hollow hair seated on a gland which secretes an acrid fluid, as in nettles.

Vulgar Slang To be highly disagreeable or annoying.

The thrust of a sting into the flesh; the act of stinging; a wound inflicted by stinging.

The act of biting.

(law enforcement) A police operation in which the police pretend to be criminals in order to catch a criminal.

A skin wound or puncture produced by an animal's teeth or mouthparts

A short percussive phrase played by a drummer to accent the punchline in a comedy show.

A stinging or smarting sensation.

A brief sequence of music used in films, TV, and video games as a form of scenic punctuation or to identify the broadcasting station.

An incisive, penetrating quality

A support for a wind tunnel model which extends parallel to the air flow.

An amount removed by or as if by an act of biting

(figurative) The harmful or painful part of something.

An excerpt or fragment taken from something larger, such as a film.

A goad; incitement.

An amount of food taken into the mouth at one time; a mouthful.

The concluding point of an epigram or other sarcastic saying.

(Informal) A light meal or snack.

(ambitransitive) To hurt, usually by introducing poison or a sharp point, or both.

The act or an instance of taking bait

To puncture with the stinger.

A secure grip or hold applied by a tool or machine upon a working surface.

To hurt, to be in pain (physically or emotionally).

The part of a tool or machine that presses against and maintains a firm hold on a working surface.

(figurative) To cause harm or pain to.

(Dentistry) The angle at which the upper and lower teeth meet; occlusion.

Any sharp organ of offense and defense, especially when connected with a poison gland, and adapted to inflict a wound by piercing; as the caudal sting of a scorpion. The sting of a bee or wasp is a modified ovipositor. The caudal sting, or spine, of a sting ray is a modified dorsal fin ray. The term is sometimes applied to the fang of a serpent. See Illust. of Scorpion.

The corrosive action of acid upon an etcher's metal plate.

A sharp-pointed hollow hair seated on a gland which secrets an acrid fluid, as in nettles. The points of these hairs usually break off in the wound, and the acrid fluid is pressed into it.

(Slang) An amount of money appropriated or withheld

The thrust of a sting into the flesh; the act of stinging; a wound inflicted by stinging.

(transitive) To cut into something by clamping the teeth.

A goad; incitement.

(transitive) To hold something by clamping one's teeth.

The point of an epigram or other sarcastic saying.

(intransitive) To attack with the teeth.

To pierce or wound with a sting; as, bees will sting an animal that irritates them; the nettles stung his hands.

(intransitive) To behave aggressively; to reject advances.

To pain acutely; as, the conscience is stung with remorse; to bite.

(intransitive) To take hold; to establish firm contact with.

To goad; to incite, as by taunts or reproaches.

(intransitive) To have significant effect, often negative.

A mental pain or distress;

To bite a baited hook or other lure and thus be caught.

A painful wound caused by the thrust of an insect's stinger into skin

To accept something offered, often secretly or deceptively, to cause some action by the acceptor.

A swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a person to buy worthless property

To sting.

Cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort;

(intransitive) To cause a smarting sensation; to have a property which causes such a sensation; to be pungent.

Deliver a sting to;

To cause sharp pain or damage to; to hurt or injure.

Saddle with something disagreeable or disadvantageous;

(intransitive) To cause sharp pain; to produce anguish; to hurt or injure; to have the property of so doing.

Cause a stinging pain;

(intransitive) To take or keep a firm hold.

Cause an emotional pain, as if by stinging;

(transitive) To take hold of; to hold fast; to adhere to.

To lack quality; to be worthy of derision; to suck.

To plagiarize, to imitate.

(obsolete) To deceive or defraud; to take in.

The act of biting.

The wound left behind after having been bitten.

The swelling of one's skin caused by an insect's mouthparts or sting.

A piece of food of a size that would be produced by biting; a mouthful.

(slang) Something unpleasant.

(slang) An act of plagiarism.

A small meal or snack.

(figuratively) aggression

The hold which the short end of a lever has upon the thing to be lifted, or the hold which one part of a machine has upon another.

A cheat; a trick; a fraud.

A sharper; one who cheats.

(printing) A blank on the edge or corner of a page, owing to a portion of the frisket, or something else, intervening between the type and paper.

(slang) A cut, a proportion of profits; an amount of money.

(television) sound bite

To seize with the teeth, so that they enter or nip the thing seized; to lacerate, crush, or wound with the teeth; as, to bite an apple; to bite a crust; the dog bit a man.

To puncture, abrade, or sting with an organ (of some insects) used in taking food.

To cause sharp pain, or smarting, to; to hurt or injure, in a literal or a figurative sense; as, pepper bites the mouth.

To cheat; to trick; to take in.

To take hold of; to hold fast; to adhere to; as, the anchor bites the ground.

To seize something forcibly with the teeth; to wound with the teeth; to have the habit of so doing; as, does the dog bite?

To cause a smarting sensation; to have a property which causes such a sensation; to be pungent; as, it bites like pepper or mustard.

To cause sharp pain; to produce anguish; to hurt or injure; to have the property of so doing.

To take a bait into the mouth, as a fish does; hence, to take a tempting offer.

To take or keep a firm hold; as, the anchor bites.

The act of seizing with the teeth or mouth; the act of wounding or separating with the teeth or mouth; a seizure with the teeth or mouth, as of a bait; as, to give anything a hard bite.

The act of puncturing or abrading with an organ for taking food, as is done by some insects.

The wound made by biting; as, the pain of a dog's or snake's bite; the bite of a mosquito.

A morsel; as much as is taken at once by biting.

The hold which the short end of a lever has upon the thing to be lifted, or the hold which one part of a machine has upon another.

A cheat; a trick; a fraud.

A sharper; one who cheats.

A blank on the edge or corner of a page, owing to a portion of the frisket, or something else, intervening between the type and paper.

A wound resulting from biting by an animal or a person

A small amount of solid food; a mouthful;

A painful wound caused by the thrust of an insect's stinger into skin

A light informal meal

(angling) an instance of a fish taking the bait;

Wit having a sharp and caustic quality;

A strong odor or taste property;

The act of gripping or chewing off with the teeth and jaws

A portion removed from the whole;

To grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws;

Cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort;

Penetrate or cut, as with a knife;

Deliver a sting to;

Redness, swelling, warmth, pus, and increasing pain are signs of an infected bite.

Typically, stings involve venom, but the severity can vary greatly.

Snakes, sharks, and large predators are known for dangerous bites.

Cats can bite as a form of communication or when stressed.

Remove the stinger, wash the area with soap and water, apply ice, and take an antihistamine if necessary.

Avoid provoking insects, wear protective clothing, and use insect repellent.

Yes, particularly if the bite breaks the skin and is contaminated.

Stings are mostly defensive; bites can be defensive or offensive.

The bullet ant is reputed to have the most painful sting.

While most people experience mild reactions, those with allergies could have severe responses.

Keep calm, immobilize the bitten area, and seek immediate medical help.

Clean the wound, apply an antibiotic ointment, and cover it with a bandage.

Difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or mouth, and rapid heartbeat indicate severe reactions.

While not all are severe, dog bites can cause significant injury and require medical evaluation.

Certain plants like nettles can cause a stinging sensation when touched.