bait

[ beyt ]

/ beɪt /

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.

QUIZZES

"EVERYDAY" VS. "EVERY DAY" QUIZ: IS IT ONE WORD OR TWO?

An everyday activity is one you do every day. (Thanks, English.) Practice using "everyday," one word, and "every day," two words, in this fun quiz with … everyday example sentences!

Question 1 of 16

“Everyday" is an adjective that describes things that happen habitually or items that are normal items or events.

True

False

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of bait

1150–1200; Middle English bait, beit (noun), baiten (v.) < Old Norse, probably reflecting both beita to pasture, hunt, chase with dogs or hawks (ultimately causative of bíta to bite; cf. bate³) and beita fish bait

SYNONYMS FOR bait

11 badger, heckle, pester.

OTHER WORDS FROM bait

bait·er, 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

bait batebaited bated

Words nearby bait

baire, bairn, bairnsfather, baisa, baisakhi, bait, bait and switch, bait casting, bait-and-switch, baitfish, baith

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for baiting

Open-carry activists are known for baiting cops into on-camera arguments about the Second Amendment and state laws.
Texas Gun Slingers Police the Police—With a Black Panthers Tactic|Brandy Zadrozny|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
When you saw it out in Ferguson, there was a baiting going on.
Ava DuVernay on ‘Selma,’ the Racist Sony Emails, and Making Golden Globes History|Marlow Stern|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Desperate to stand out, some megachurches are baiting Easter crowds with flat-screen TVs, iPads, and Starbucks gift cards.
Can’t Fill the House On Easter? Try Handing Out Gadgets|Matthew Paul Turner|April 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Baiting the trap with part of a fish, he buried it in the snow at a point where the otter must come down the slide to the pool.
The Wilderness Trail|Frank Williams

It often begins in baiting the police, and sometimes ends in the overthrow of the government.
Mlle. Fouchette|Charles Theodore Murray
This sort of baiting, good-natured though it was, was more than she could bear.
The Odds|Ethel M. Dell
She slipped a hand into the pocket of her skirt, paused in the action, and her baiting smile turned to a look of threat.
To Him That Hath|Leroy Scott
Let us see what sort of sport the bull-pups make in the baiting of him!
Micah Clarke|Arthur Conan Doyle

British Dictionary definitions for baiting (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 baiting (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 baiting

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

bait

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object) Archaic.

QUIZZES

"EVERYDAY" VS. "EVERY DAY" QUIZ: IS IT ONE WORD OR TWO?

Origin of bait

SYNONYMS FOR bait

OTHER WORDS FROM bait

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bait

Words nearby bait

Words related to baiting

Example sentences from the Web for baiting

British Dictionary definitions for baiting (1 of 2)

noun

verb

Word Origin for bait

usage for bait

British Dictionary definitions for baiting (2 of 2)

verb

Idioms and Phrases with baiting