bait

[ beyt ]

/ beɪt /

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See synonyms for bait on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

verb (used with object)

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.

verb (used without object) Archaic.

to stop for food or refreshment during a journey.

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

SYNONYMS FOR bait

11 badger, heckle, pester.

See synonyms for bait on Thesaurus.com

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The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.

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Origin of bait

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”; cf. bite, bate³

OTHER WORDS FROM bait

baiter, nouno·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

1. bait , bate2. baited , bated

Words nearby bait

baire, bairn, Bairnsfather, Ba. Is., Baisakhi, bait, bait-and-switch, bait casting, baitfish, baith, baiza

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for bait

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|Fortune
There 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|Eater
Jumping 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 News
For 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|FiveThirtyEight

Such 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|DAILY BEAST
The 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|DAILY BEAST
The 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|DAILY BEAST
In 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|DAILY BEAST
Take, for example, these two Great Whites fighting over bait.
Shark Deathmatch, Crazy ‘Simpsons’ Couch Gag, and More Viral Videos|Alex Chancey|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The moment the bait was touched, down would come the heavy timber—smash—on the tiger's head.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike
But 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 Leacock
He 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 Macaulay
I 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)

bait¹

/ (beɪt) /

noun

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

verb

(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

Word Origin for bait

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

usage for bait

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

British Dictionary definitions for bait (2 of 2)

bait²

/ (beɪt) /

verb

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

Idioms and Phrases with bait

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

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