Link Centre Dictionary

bait

UK/beɪt/ US/ˈbeɪt/ common
noun (2) verb (3)

noun

1.

anything that serves as an enticement

Synonyms
2.

something used to lure victims into danger

Synonyms

verb

1.

harass with persistent criticism or carping

  • “The children teased the new teacher”
  • “Don”
  • “;”
Synonyms
2.

lure, entice, or entrap with bait

3.

attack with dogs or set dogs upon

Origin

From Middle English bayten, baiten, beiten, from Old Norse beita (“to bait, cause to bite, feed, hunt”), from Proto-Germanic *baitijaną (“to cause to bite, bridle”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- (“to cleave, split, separate”). Cognate with Icelandic beita (“to bait”), Swedish beta (“to bait, pasture, graze”), German beizen (“to cause to bite, bait”), Old English bǣtan (“to bait, hunt, bridle, bit”).

Phrases

  • bait advertising
  • bait and switch
  • bait ball
  • bait bill
  • bait bills
  • bait boat
  • bait box
  • bait bug

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.