bait
bait Lexical Profile
bait Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Food or an artificial substitute placed on a hook or inside a trap to lure fish, birds, or other animals into being caught.
"The angler threaded a fresh earthworm onto the hook as bait for the trout."
Something attractive offered to entice, tempt, or trick a person into taking a specific action or falling into a trap.
"The retailer used heavily discounted electronics as bait to draw holiday shoppers into the store."
• verb
To prepare a hook, net, or trap by placing food or a lure on or inside it to catch animals or fish.
"She carefully baited the humane trap with peanut butter to catch the field mouse."
To deliberately annoy, taunt, or provoke someone in order to elicit an angry or emotional reaction.
"During the debate, the candidate refused to let his opponent bait him into losing his temper."
To set dogs upon a confined or chained animal, such as a bear or badger, for sport (historical).
"Laws passed in the nineteenth century finally outlawed the cruel practice of baiting bulls and bears."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'bait' with its homophone 'bate' (to lessen or restrain), which survives almost exclusively in the idiom 'with bated breath'.
• Rhymes for bait
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in Middle English from Old Norse 'beita' (to cause to bite, to hunt with hounds, or food for animals), which is the causative form of 'bíta' (to bite).