ichidan verb, transitive verb
clench one's teeth; bite one's lip
Obsolete term for clenching teeth or biting one's lip, often in expressions of endurance or frustration. Modern Japanese uses 歯を食いしばる (はをくいしばる) for 'clench one's teeth' and 唇を噛む (くちびるをかむ) for 'bite one's lip'.
古い文献では「歯を食いしめる」という表現が見られる。
In old texts, the expression 'to clench one's teeth' can be found.
Alternate spelling using 締める for 'tighten'; less common than 食いしめる.
Rare variant with 喰, a non-jōyō kanji for 'eat'.
Compound of 食い (くい, 'eating', continuative form of 食う) + 締める (しめる, 'to tighten'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning of clenching or biting down.