bait
food, or some substitute, used as a lure in fishing, trapping, etc.
a poisoned lure used in exterminating pests.
an allurement; enticement: Employees were lured with the bait of annual bonuses.
an object for pulling molten or liquefied material, as glass, from a vat or the like by adhesion.
South Midland and Southern U.S.
a large or sufficient quantity or amount: He fetched a good bait of wood.
an excessive quantity or amount.
British Slang. food.
to prepare (a hook or trap) with bait.
to entice by deception or trickery so as to entrap or destroy: using fake signal lights to bait the ships onto the rocks.
to attract, tempt, or captivate.
to set dogs upon (an animal) for sport.
to worry, torment, or persecute, especially with malicious remarks: a nasty habit of baiting defenseless subordinates.
to tease: They love to bait him about his gaudy ties.
to feed and water (a horse or other animal), especially during a journey.
Origin of bait
1Other words for bait
Other words from bait
- baiter, noun
- o·ver·bait, verb (used with object)
- re·bait, verb (used with object)
- un·bait, verb (used with object)
Words that may be confused with bait
Words Nearby bait
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use bait in a sentence
Realizing he could do the same on a large scale, he found a farmer who was breeding insects for fish bait, and recruited him to help launch Ÿnsect.
With backing from Hollywood, French startup Ÿnsect plans to bring edible insects to America | Vivienne Walt | October 12, 2020 | FortuneThere are the seafood buffets and bait shops, which give way to newfangled Starbucks.
Fast-Food Buffets Are a Thing of the Past. Some Doubt They Ever Even Existed. | MM Carrigan | September 29, 2020 | EaterJumping worms are often sold as compost worms or fishing bait.
Invasive jumping worms damage U.S. soil and threaten forests | Megan Sever | September 29, 2020 | Science NewsFor a sub-30 percent shooter from three, he’s taken the bait too often.
Everything Should Be On The Table For The Houston Rockets. Even James Harden’s Future. | Chris Herring (chris.herring@fivethirtyeight.com) | September 14, 2020 | FiveThirtyEightSuch baits would be especially helpful if they attract other types of locusts, too, like the desert species.
A single chemical may draw lonely locusts into a hungry swarm | Jonathan Lambert | September 7, 2020 | Science News For Students
I hope that there is a trend away from the kind of “click-bait” type of essay that you often see on the Internet.
Meghan Daum On Tackling The Unspeakable Parts Of Life | David Yaffe | December 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe gang does bait two officers with Noah, but another car comes tearing in and whisks them both away.
The Walking Dead’s ‘Crossed’: The Stage Is Now Set for a Bloody, Deadly Midseason Finale | Melissa Leon | November 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe shift in language and content is click-bait for the enterprising eBay-er.
Dismembering History: The Shady Online Trade in Ancient Texts | Candida Moss | November 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn November, Maine voters will vote on whether to ban using dogs, traps, and bait to hunt black bears in the Pine Tree State.
America’s Most Important (and Wackiest) Referendums This November | Ben Jacobs | October 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTTake, for example, these two Great Whites fighting over bait.
Shark Deathmatch, Crazy ‘Simpsons’ Couch Gag, and More Viral Videos | Alex Chancey | October 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe moment the bait was touched, down would come the heavy timber—smash—on the tiger's head.
Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. PikeBut what if I catch the fish by using a hired boat and a hired net, or by buying worms as bait from some one who has dug them?
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen LeacockHe rushed with ravenous eagerness at every bait which was offered to his cupidity.
The History of England from the Accession of James II. | Thomas Babington MacaulayI threw out a bait to see if you would snap at it, but I find you timid, and therefore advise you to drop the matter entirely.'
The Staircase At The Hearts Delight | Anna Katharine Green (Mrs. Charles Rohlfs)So it ran along and nibbled the bait until its sharp teeth cut the cord.
The Later Cave-Men | Katharine Elizabeth Dopp
British Dictionary definitions for bait (1 of 2)
/ (beɪt) /
something edible, such as soft bread paste, worms, or pieces of meat, fixed to a hook or in a trap to attract fish or animals
an enticement; temptation
a variant spelling of bate 4
Northern English dialect food, esp a packed lunch
archaic a short stop for refreshment during a journey
(tr) to put a piece of food on or in (a hook or trap)
(tr) to persecute or tease
(tr) to entice; tempt
(tr) to set dogs upon (a bear, etc)
(tr) archaic to feed (a horse), esp during a break in a journey
(intr) archaic to stop for rest and refreshment during a journey
Origin of bait
1usage For bait
British Dictionary definitions for bait (2 of 2)
/ (beɪt) /
a variant spelling of bate 2
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with bait
In addition to the idiom beginning with bait
- bait and switch
also see:
- fish or cut bait
- jump at (the bait)
- rise to the bait
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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