bait
verb/beɪt/
/beɪt/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they bait | /beɪt/ /beɪt/ |
| he / she / it baits | /beɪts/ /beɪts/ |
| past simple baited | /ˈbeɪtɪd/ /ˈbeɪtɪd/ |
| past participle baited | /ˈbeɪtɪd/ /ˈbeɪtɪd/ |
| -ing form baiting | /ˈbeɪtɪŋ/ /ˈbeɪtɪŋ/ |
- bait something (with something) to place food on a hook, in a trap, etc. in order to attract or catch a fish or an animal
- He baited the trap with a piece of meat.
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- bait somebody to deliberately try to make somebody angry or to hurt them by making cruel remarks
- The soldiers remained calm even though the crowd was baiting them.
- -baiting(in compound nouns) the activity of attacking a wild animal with dogs
- bear-baiting
- badger-baiting
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old Norse beit ‘pasture, food’, beita ‘to hunt or chase’.
Check pronunciation:
bait