bait
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bait 1
(bāt)n.
1.
a. Food or other lure placed on a hook or in a trap and used in the taking of fish, birds, or other animals.
b. Something, such as a worm, used for this purpose.
2. An enticement, temptation, or provocation: He did not take the bait by responding to the taunt and getting drawn into an argument.
v. bait·ed, bait·ing, baits
v.tr.
1. To place a lure in (a trap) or on (a fishing hook).
2. To entice or provoke, especially by trickery or strategy: He baited me into selling him my bike by saying how much I deserved a better one.
3. To set dogs upon (a chained animal, for example) for sport.
4. To taunt or torment (someone), as with persistent insults or ridicule: "He baited him mercilessly and had all sorts of unpleasant names for him" (Ruth Prawer Jhabvala).
5. To feed (an animal), especially on a journey.
v.intr. Archaic
To stop for food or rest during a trip.
[Middle English, from Old Norse beita, food, fodder, fish bait. V., from Old Norse beita, to put animals to pasture, hunt with dogs; see bheid- in Indo-European roots.]
bait′er n.
Usage Note: The word baited is sometimes incorrectly substituted for the etymologically correct but unfamiliar word bated ("abated; suspended") in the expression bated breath.
bait 2
(bāt)v.
Variant of bate2.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
bait
(beɪt)n
1. (Angling) 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 bate4
4. dialect Northern English food, esp a packed lunch
5. archaic a short stop for refreshment during a journey
vb
6. (Hunting) (tr) to put a piece of food on or in (a hook or trap)
7. (tr) to persecute or tease
8. (tr) to entice; tempt
9. (Hunting) (tr) to set dogs upon (a bear, etc)
10. (tr) archaic to feed (a horse), esp during a break in a journey
11. (intr) archaic to stop for rest and refreshment during a journey
[C13: from Old Norse beita to hunt, persecute; related to Old English bǣtan to restrain, hunt, Old High German beizen]
Usage: The phrase with bated breath is sometimes wrongly spelled with baited breath
bait
(beɪt)vb
(Falconry) a variant spelling of bate2
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
bait
(beɪt)n.
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.
v.t. 4. to prepare (a hook or trap) with bait.
5. to lure, as with bait.
6. to set dogs upon (an animal) for sport.
7. to torment, esp. with malicious remarks; harass.
8. to tease.
9. to feed and water (an animal) during a journey.
v.i. Archaic. 10. to stop for food or refreshment during a journey.
[1150–1200; Middle English < Old Norse, probably reflecting both beita to pasture, hunt, chase with dogs or hawks (ultimately causative of bīta to bite) and beita fish bait]
bait′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
bait
Past participle: baited
Gerund: baiting
| Imperative |
|---|
| bait |
| bait |
bait
Past participle: baited
Gerund: baiting
| Imperative |
|---|
| bait |
| bait |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  bait - anything that serves as an enticemententicement, temptation - something that seduces or has the quality to seduce |
| 2. |  bait - something used to lure fish or other animals into danger so they can be trapped or killedchum - bait consisting of chopped fish and fish oils that are dumped overboard to attract fish device - an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose; "the device is small enough to wear on your wrist"; "a device intended to conserve water" fish lure, fisherman's lure - (angling) any bright artificial bait consisting of plastic or metal mounted with hooks and trimmed with feathers ground bait - bait scattered on the water to attract fish stool pigeon - a dummy pigeon used to decoy others trap - a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned | |
| Verb | 1. |  bait - harass with persistent criticism or carping; "The children teased the new teacher"; "Don't ride me so hard over my failure"; "His fellow workers razzed him when he wore a jacket and tie" |
| 2. |  bait - lure, entice, or entrap with bait | |
| 3. | bait - attack with dogs or set dogs upon |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
bait
noun
1. lure, attraction, incentive, carrot (informal), temptation, bribe, magnet, snare, inducement, decoy, carrot and stick, honeypot, enticement, allurement bait to attract audiences for advertisements
verb
1. tease, provoke, annoy, irritate, guy (informal), bother, needle (informal), plague (informal), mock, rag, rib (informal), wind up (Brit. slang), hound, torment, harass, ridicule, taunt, hassle (informal), aggravate (informal), badger, gall, persecute, pester, goad, irk, bedevil, take the mickey out of (informal), take the piss out of (taboo slang), chaff, gibe, get on the nerves of (informal), nark (Brit., Austral., & N.Z. slang), be on the back of (slang), piss you off (taboo slang), get in the hair of (informal), get or take a rise out of He delighted in baiting his mother.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
bait
noun1. Something that attracts, especially with the promise of pleasure or reward:
1. To torment with persistent insult or ridicule:
Idiom: wave the red flag in front of the bull.
2. To disturb by repeated attacks:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
طُعْم لِصَيْدِ السَّمَكيَضَعُ الطُّعم على
esquer
návnadanasadit návnadu
agnlokkemadmadding
csalétket tesz
beita
餌
먹이미끼
jaukaspadėti jauką
ēsmauzlikt ēsmu
nastaviť návnadu
vaba
olta veya kapan yemiyemyem vermekyemlemek
bait
[beɪt]A. N (Fishing, Hunting) → cebo m (fig) → anzuelo m, cebo m
to rise to the bait he didn't rise to the bait → no picó
to swallow the bait (lit) → picar (fig) → morder el anzuelo, caer en la trampa
to rise to the bait he didn't rise to the bait → no picó
to swallow the bait (lit) → picar (fig) → morder el anzuelo, caer en la trampa
B. VT
1. [+ hook, trap] → cebar
2. (= torment) [+ person, animal] → atormentar
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
bait
[ˈbeɪt] n
(lit) (for fish, animal) → appât m
(fig) → appât m
to use sb as bait
He used me as bait → Je lui ai servi d'appât.
to take the bait, to rise to the bait (British) → mordre à l'hameçon
to use sb as bait
He used me as bait → Je lui ai servi d'appât.
to take the bait, to rise to the bait (British) → mordre à l'hameçon
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
bait
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
bait
[beɪt]2. vt (hook) → innescare; (trap) → munire di esca; (torment, person, animal) → stuzzicare, tormentare
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
bait
(beit) noun food used to attract fish, animals etc which one wishes to catch, kill etc. Before he went fishing he dug up some worms for bait.
verb to put bait on or in (a hook, trap etc). He baited the mousetrap with cheese.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.