˜yÐÄvlog

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View synonyms for

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: , ,

  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

/ ²ú±ðɪ³Ù /

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
“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

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
“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

bait

2

/ ²ú±ðɪ³Ù /

verb

  1. 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
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Usage

The phrase with bated breath is sometimes wrongly spelled with baited breath
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Other ˜yÐÄvlog Forms

  • ²ú²¹¾±³Ùİù noun
  • ´Çv±ð°ù·²ú²¹¾±³Ù verb (used with object)
  • °ù±ð·²ú²¹¾±³Ù verb (used with object)
  • ³Ü²Ô·²ú²¹¾±³Ù verb (used with object)
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˜yÐÄvlog 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 ²úí³Ù²¹ “to biteâ€) and beita “fish baitâ€; bite, bate 3
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˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of bait1

C13: from Old Norse beita to hunt, persecute; related to Old English ²úÇ£³Ù²¹²Ô to restrain, hunt, Old High German beizen
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Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with bait , also see fish or cut bait ; jump at (the bait) ; rise to the bait .
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The spokesperson added: "However, it is also the case that catapults are also routinely used by members of the public enjoying legitimate pastimes, in particular for anglers when propelling fishing bait."

From

Ordaz also showed a bit of moxie midway through the first half Wednesday when he tangled with veteran Miami defender Maximiliano Falcón, who baited his young opponent all game.

From

One particularly devastating crypto fraud is known as “pig butchering†or “romance baiting.â€

From

I call it another case of Emmy bait.

From

In tuna longlining, the ship uses a line made of thick microfilament, sometimes stretching as long as 40 miles, with baited hooks attached at intervals.

From

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Related ˜yÐÄvlogs

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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