biting points

Noun

biting point (plural biting points)

1. The point where the clutch engages when the pedal is released.
   • Tight clutch control is needed, so keep the clutch pedal just above the biting point.2005, Driving Standards Agency, Driving: The Essential Skills, page 68

   Synonyms:

   bite point

2. (broadly) The precise position at which a control mechanism as been moved just enough to cause a device to operate.
   • The slipping set screw is a source of much trouble when due to lack of proper biting point.1903 September, R, “A Talk on Set Screws”, in Modern Machinery, volume 14, number 3, page 81
3. (figuratively) The point or set of circumstances when a particular action can begin or a critical transition can occur.
   • And here is the biting point: If you understand clearly “what” God has been doing in your life to date and “where” He has been leading your feet (and I don't mean physical feet) to date, you will be in the most critical position to […]2011, Charles Kofi Fekpe, Diamonds in Eden, page 118
4. The level of aggravation that causes someone or something to lash out or bite.
   • Sometimes the Princess would appear with the lead and take one of the others out, often Maisie, and I would hate whoever had gone in my place, filled to biting-point with envy that built up and built up in the long wait imagining someone else's pleasure.1901, Jean Gill, True Colours: Box set of six books
5. The position of the jaw where the upper and lower teeth meet during a bite
   • The use of the resultant biting-point can be incorporated with any technique of building complete dentures.1962, Meyer M. Silverman, Occlusion in Prosthodontics and in the Natural Dentition, page 76
6. The location where something is bitten.
   • After a few generations of such treatment it is noticed that in the puppies' tails there is indicated the exact spot at which they should be bitten off. The cartilage in the tail is merely rudimentary beyond the biting point.1900, “Are Acquired Characteristics transmitted?”, in Dietetic and Hygienic Gazette, volume 15, page 283

See all 7 meanings of biting point