biting off

Verb

bite off (third-person singular simple present bites off, present participle biting off, simple past bit off, past participle bitten off)

1. To bite so hard as to remove something from its source.
   • Then she cocked her head back, opened her mouth, and bit off the trout's top half.1999, Stephen King, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
2. (idiomatic, sometimes, transitive) To accept or commit oneself to a task, project, notion, or responsibility, especially one which presents challenges.
   • In between what she called the "goody-good" or "frilly-knickers" Hollywood films, she bit off some more demanding parts back home.1967 July 28, “Actresses: Hayley at 21”, in Time

   Synonyms:

   accept, attempt, tackle, undertake

3. (idiomatic, transitive) To acquire, especially in an abrupt or forceful manner.
   • To thicken that buffer zone Britain joined other powers in biting off larger chunks of China.1997, Anthony Spaeth, "And Here the Twain Shall Meet," Time, Special Issue—Hong Kong 1997

   Synonyms:

   appropriate, grab