这些动词均含有“咬、啃”之意。
bite : 指用牙齿钳住或切断，或咬一口。
- He bit into the apple.
他咬了一口苹果。 - He bites his fingernails.
他咬指甲。
chew : 指用牙磨碎，或者为品尝味道而嚼。
- This meat is difficult to chew.
这肉很难嚼。 - You don’t chew your food enough – that’s why you get indigestion.
你没把食物嚼烂——这就是你消化不良的原因。 - Would you like some gum to chew?
你想吃口香糖吗？ - She gave the children some sweets to chew (on) during the long car journey.
在漫长的汽车旅行途中，她给了孩子们些糖果嚼着吃。 - She sat in the dentist’s waiting room, nervously chewing (at) (= biting) her nails.
她坐在牙医的候诊室里，紧张地咬着指甲。
gnaw : 指连续不断用齿咬。
- Babies like to gnaw hard objects when they’re teething.
婴儿在长牙时喜欢啃咬硬物。 - A dog lay under the table, gnawing on a bone.
一条狗趴在桌下啃骨头。
snap : 指突然猛咬。
- The guard dog was snarling and snapping behind the fence.
那条看门狗正在篱笆后面吠咬。 - The dogs snarled and snapped at our heels.
几条狗边叫边向着我们的脚后跟咬来。
#词汇辨析