bearbaiting

[ bair-bey-ting ]

/ ˈbɛərˌbeɪ tɪŋ /

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noun

the former practice of setting dogs to fight a captive bear.

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Origin of bearbaiting

First recorded in 1580–90; see bear², bait (in the sense “to set dogs upon for sport”), -ing¹

OTHER WORDS FROM bearbaiting

bearbaiter, noun

How to use bearbaiting in a sentence

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
“If Charleston harbor needs improvement, let the commerce of Charleston bear the burden,” he said.
Steve Scalise Shows There’s a Fine Line Between Confederate & Southern|Lloyd Green|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Limbaugh makes comments like this because his right-wing fans require a non–stop diet of race-baiting red meat.
Rush Limbaugh’s Fear of a Black James Bond|Dean Obeidallah|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He said, “I am breaking my heart over this story, and cannot bear to finish it.”
How Dickens and Scrooge Saved Christmas|Clive Irving|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Once again he accused the West of being unfair to Russia, bringing back his favorite metaphor, the Russian bear.
After His Disastrous Annual Press Conference, Putin Needs A Hug|Anna Nemtsova|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many British Ferns evidence a marked tendency to “sport,” and this is a fact which the beginner should always bear in mind.
How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin
The bear laughed and joined his companion, and the torpedo thundered away.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
This may be done by taking the humming tone and bringing to bear upon it a strong pressure of energy.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
The left heel followed like lightning, and the right paw also slipped, letting the bear again fall heavily on the ice below.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
The bear watched him narrowly with its wicked little eyes, though it did not see fit to cease its paw-licking.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for bearbaiting

bear-baiting

noun

(formerly) an entertainment in which dogs attacked and enraged a chained bear

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