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bearbaiting

[ bair-bey-ting ]
/ ˈbɛərˌbeɪ tɪŋ /

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

Example sentences from the Web for bearbaiting

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