Lewis & Short

prae-mordĕo, morsi and mordi, morsum, 2, v. a., to bite in front, to bite at the end; hence, in gen., to bite (poet. and in post-Aug. prose).

  1. I. Lit.: ni fugissem, medium, credo, praemorsisset, Plaut. Fragm. ap. Gell. 7, 9, 7: linguam, Luc. 6, 567: projectos, Sen. Clem. 1, 5, 5.
  2. II. Transf., to bite off, snip off, crib: et tamen ex hoc, Quodcumque est, Discipuli custos praemordet, Juv. 7, 217.