Bitesheep
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A bishop, particularly a Catholic bishop persecuting Protestants. derogatory, obsolete, slur
"Wherefore mine advice and most earnest desire is, with all other of your loving friends, that you still keep that order with those bloodthirsty bitesheeps (bishops, I should say) that you have begun. For though in conclusion they will surely have your blood, yet shall they come by it with shame enough, and to their perpetual infamy while the world doth endure."
Example
More examples"Wherefore mine advice and most earnest desire is, with all other of your loving friends, that you still keep that order with those bloodthirsty bitesheeps (bishops, I should say) that you have begun. For though in conclusion they will surely have your blood, yet shall they come by it with shame enough, and to their perpetual infamy while the world doth endure."
Etymology
From bite + sheep. Possibly an intentional, satirical corruption of, or pun on, bishop, to imply one who bites the flock he should be protecting (compare English sheep-biter).
Related phrases
More for "bitesheep"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.