bait

[beyt]

noun

1. food, or some substitute, used as a lure in fishing, trapping, etc.

2. a poisoned lure used in exterminating pests.

3. an allurement; enticement.

   Employees were lured with the bait of annual bonuses.

4. an object for pulling molten or liquefied material, as glass, from a vat or the like by adhesion.

5. South Midland and Southern U.S.

   1. a large or sufficient quantity or amount.

      He fetched a good bait of wood.

   2. an excessive quantity or amount.

6. British Slang.,  food.

verb (used with object)

1. to prepare (a hook or trap) with bait.

2. to entice by deception or trickery so as to entrap or destroy.

   using fake signal lights to bait the ships onto the rocks.

3. to attract, tempt, or captivate.

4. to set dogs upon (an animal) for sport.

5. to worry, torment, or persecute, especially with malicious remarks.

   a nasty habit of baiting defenseless subordinates.

   Synonyms: pester, heckle, badger

6. to tease.

   They love to bait him about his gaudy ties.

7. to feed and water (a horse or other animal), especially during a journey.

verb (used without object)

Archaic.

1. to stop for food or refreshment during a journey.

2. (of a horse or other animal) to take food; feed.

bait

¹

/ beɪt /

noun

1. 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

2. an enticement; temptation

3. a variant spelling of bate 4

4. dialect,  food, esp a packed lunch

5. archaic,  a short stop for refreshment during a journey

verb

1. (tr) to put a piece of food on or in (a hook or trap)

2. (tr) to persecute or tease

3. (tr) to entice; tempt

4. (tr) to set dogs upon (a bear, etc)

5. archaic,  (tr) to feed (a horse), esp during a break in a journey

6. archaic,  (intr) to stop for rest and refreshment during a journey

bait

²

/ beɪt /

verb

1. a variant spelling of bate 2

Usage

The phrase with bated breath is sometimes wrongly spelled with baited breath

Other Word Forms

• baiter noun
• overbait verb (used with object)
• rebait verb (used with object)
• unbait verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of bait¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English bait, beit (noun), baiten (verb), from Old Norse, probably reflecting both beita “to pasture, hunt, chase with dogs or hawks” (ultimately causative of bíta “to bite”) and beita “fish bait”; bite, bate ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of bait¹

C13: from Old Norse beita to hunt, persecute; related to Old English bǣtan to restrain, hunt, Old High German beizen

Idioms and Phrases

• fish or cut bait
• jump at (the bait)
• rise to the bait

Example Sentences

The inspections uncovered thousands of unlawfully disposed items, including pesticide containers with liquids, foams, baits, pellets and aerosol sprays.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The West Australian newspaper has been baiting the England team since they arrived in Perth.

Read more on BBC

Isn’t he, one of the richest men in America and a guy everyone thinks offed his wife, better bait?

Read more on Salon

“Fish?” she said weakly, for the idea of baiting a hook made her queasy all over again.

Read more on Literature

While there is broad agreement on the need for targeted subsidies to challenge the use of handouts as electoral bait, Indian elections are increasingly dominated by unaffordable, poll-driven freebie economics that states can ill afford.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• harass 
• irk 
• tease 
• torment