he bit his glove
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
He resolved on mortal revenge. On the Border, to bite the glove was considered a pledge of deadly vengeance. Stern Rutherford right little said, But bit his glove and shook his head.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “he bit his glove” mean?
He resolved on mortal revenge. On the Border, to bite the glove was considered a pledge of deadly vengeance. Stern Rutherford right little said, But bit his glove and shook his head.
Is “he bit his glove” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.