bait
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /beɪt/
rhymes: -eɪt
homophone: bate
Forms: form: baits
form: b8
Etymology: From Middle English bayte, bait, beite, from Old Norse beita (“food, bait”), from Proto-Germanic *baitō (“that which is bitten, bait”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- (“to cleave, split, separate”). Cognate with German Beize (“mordant, corrosive fluid; marinade”), Old English bāt (“that which can be bitten, food, bait”). Related to bite.
Senses: examples: text: attach bait to a hook
text: catch a few using bait
glosses: Any substance, especially food, used in catching fish, or other animals, by alluring them to a hook, snare, trap, or net.
glosses: Food containing poison or a harmful additive to kill animals that are pests.
examples: text: One of the “girls” used in this way, Pamella Bordes, later spoke of being “part of an enormous group … used as sexual bait.”
ref: 2017 June 7, Adam Lusher, “Adnan Khashoggi: the 'whoremonger' whose arms deals funded a playboy life of decadence and 'pleasure wives'”, in The Independent, London:
glosses: Anything which allures; something or someone used to lure or entice someone or something into doing something
examples: text: queerbait
text: sequel bait
text: Netflix bait
glosses: Anything which allures; something or someone used to lure or entice someone or something into doing something
Something that lures or entices a specified group
raw_tags: as the head of a compound
examples: text: A short stop, but no refreshment. Such baits are frequently given by the natives of the principality to their keffels, or horses, particularly after climbing a hill.
ref: 1824, Thomas Fielding, Select Proverbs of All Nations, page 132:
text: The tediousness of a two hours' bait at Petty-France, in which there was nothing to be done but to eat without being hungry, and loiter about without any thing to see, next followed […]
ref: 1803 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter XX, in Northanger Abbey; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC, page page 70:
glosses: A portion of food or drink, as a refreshment taken on a journey; also, a stop for rest and refreshment.
glosses: A portion of food or drink, as a refreshment taken on a journey; also, a stop for rest and refreshment.
A packed lunch - the bite to eat a worker took with them to eat
glosses: A portion of food or drink, as a refreshment taken on a journey; also, a stop for rest and refreshment.
A small meal taken mid-morning while farming.
glosses: A portion of food or drink, as a refreshment taken on a journey; also, a stop for rest and refreshment.
A miner's packed meal.
glosses: A portion of food or drink, as a refreshment taken on a journey; also, a stop for rest and refreshment.
A light or hasty luncheon.
examples: text: Please stop posting bait, or I will have to mute you.
glosses: A post intended to elicit a, usually strong or negative, reaction from others.
Derived terms: -bait
baitable
bait advertising
bait-and-switch
bait and switch
bait ball
bait bill
bait bills
bait boat
bait box
bait bug
bait car
baitcaster
baitcasting
bait-cord
bait dog
baitfish
baitholder
baithook
baiting
baitless
bait money
baitshop
bait up
baitware
baitwell
baitworm
baity
bear-bait
bearbait
bear bait
buzzard bait
buzzbait
clickbait
click-bait
click bait
crankbait
craybait
crowbait
cut bait
dickbait
fishbait
fish or cut bait
flame bait
flamebait
fuckbait
fujobait
gaybait
groundbait
jailbait
jail-bait
jail bait
jebait
ledger bait
link-bait
linkbait
link bait
nonbaited
Oscar bait
pedobait
pedobaiting
pogey bait
prebait
queerbait
race-bait
ragebait
rebait
redbait
red-bait
rise to the bait
scambait
sharebait
shark-bait
shark bait
spinnerbait
spoonbait
stinkbait
swimbait
take the bait
unbait
unbaited
unicorn bait
whitebait
YouTube bait