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in one bite

in one bite

2 3.1
To eat or swallow something in a single mouthful
  • idiom
translation icon : de un bocado
  • He devoured a roll in one bite.
  • eat it in one bite

But then the flavor is like Korean BBQ all in one bite.

Examples

  • Well, I ate that banana in one bite.

  • Everybody wants to eat the entire elephant in one bite.

    Blog text (16)
  • I could eat you up in one bite, you get me?

  • Yeah, stay still so I can get you down in one bite.

  • He gave his phone number, hung up, and inhaled half the Danish in one bite.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • She finished the entire sandwich in one bite.

  • The chef suggested we eat the appetizer in one bite for the best experience.

  • He managed to gulp down the whole piece of cake in one bite.

Synonyms

to down
vsin one bite
  • Informal
22 5.4

Eat or drink something quickly and completely

refers specifically to finishing it in one mouthful or one action
one bite
vsin one bite
20 1.0

A single piece of food you put into your mouth at once

describes consuming that mouthful quickly in a single action
to gobble up
vsin one bite
  • Informal
19 3.0

To eat something quickly and eagerly

is neutral about appetite rather than showing eager eating
in one go
vsin one bite
4 3.4

All at once without stopping

applies specifically to finishing in one mouthful rather than any action

Antonyms

bit by bit
  • Informal
12 2.7

A little at a time

How Fast

instantly
330 1.0
in one bite
2 3.1
in one go
4 3.4
slowly
1.0
bit by bit
  • Informal
12 2.7

Surface Forms

in one bite positive

Morphology

in + one + bite

The meaning 'consumed completely or very quickly in a single mouthful' is directly and predictably derived from combining 'in' (inside), 'one' (single), and 'bite' (a mouthful). This compositional pattern (in one + unit) is common in English and cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

In one bite comes from the simple picture of eating something whole: a person or an animal takes a single bite and swallows it all at once. So in one bite means 'in one mouthful' or 'very quickly'.