one's words
1To eat one's words — Word Word, n. [AS. word; akin to OFries. & OS. word, D. woord, G. wort, Icel. or[eth], Sw. & Dan. ord, Goth. wa[ u]rd, OPruss. wirds, Lith. vardas a name, L. verbum a word; or perhaps to Gr. rh twr an orator. Cf. {Verb}.] [1913 Webster] 1. The… …
2eat one's words — also[swallow one s words] {v. phr.} To take back something you have said; admit something is not true. * /John had called Harry a coward, but the boys made him eat his words after Harry bravely fought a big bully./ Compare: EAT CROW …
3eat one's words — also[swallow one s words] {v. phr.} To take back something you have said; admit something is not true. * /John had called Harry a coward, but the boys made him eat his words after Harry bravely fought a big bully./ Compare: EAT CROW …
4eat one's words — phrasal : to retract what one has said * * * eat one s words To take back what one has said • • • Main Entry: ↑eat eat one s words To retract what one has said, or apologize for it, usu under compulsion • • • Main Entry: ↑word * * * retract what… …
5eat\ one's\ words — • eat one s words • swallow one s words v. phr. To take back something you have said; admit something is not true. John had called Harry a coward, but the boys made him eat his words after Harry bravely fought a big bully. Compare: eat crow …
6mince words (or one's words) usu. with negative — voice one s disapproval delicately or gently. → mince …
7swallow one's words — 1. To speak unclearly; fail to put enough breath into your words. * /Phyllis was hard to understand because she swallowed her words./ 2. See: EAT ONE S WORDS …
8swallow one's words — 1. To speak unclearly; fail to put enough breath into your words. * /Phyllis was hard to understand because she swallowed her words./ 2. See: EAT ONE S WORDS …
9swallow\ one's\ words — 1. To speak unclearly; fail to put enough breath into your words. Phyllis was hard to understand because she swallowed her words. 2. See: eat one s words …
10To eat one's words — Eat Eat ([=e]t), v. t. [imp. {Ate} ([=a]t; 277), Obsolescent & Colloq. {Eat} ([e^]t); p. p. {Eaten} ([=e]t n), Obs. or Colloq. {Eat} ([e^]t); p. pr. & vb. n. {Eating}.] [OE. eten, AS. etan; akin to OS. etan, OFries. eta, D. eten, OHG. ezzan, G.… …
