bait

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See also: bait-

English[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

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; hunting), Old English bāt (that which can be bitten, food, bait). Related to bite.

Noun[edit]

bait (countable and uncountable, plural baits)

  1. Any substance, especially food, used in catching fish, or other animals, by alluring them to a hook, snare, trap, or net.
    attach bait to a hook
    catch a few using bait
  2. Food containing poison or a harmful additive to kill animals that are pests.
  3. Anything which allures; something used to lure or entice someone or something into doing something
    • 2017 June 7, Adam Lusher, “Adnan Khashoggi: the 'whoremonger' whose arms deals funded a playboy life of decadence and 'pleasure wives'”, in The Independent[1], London:
      One of the “girls” used in this way, Pamella Bordes, later spoke of being “part of an enormous group … used as sexual bait.”
    1. (as the head of a compound) Something that lures or entices a specified group
      queerbait
      sequel bait
      Netflix bait
  4. A portion of food or drink, as a refreshment taken on a journey; also, a stop for rest and refreshment.
    • 1824, Thomas Fielding, Select Proverbs of All Nations, page 132:
      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.
    • 1803 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter XX, in Northanger Abbey; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. [], volumes (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, [], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC, page page 70:
      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 []
    1. (Geordie) A packed lunch.
    2. (East Anglia) A small meal taken mid-morning while farming.
    3. (Northern England) A miner's packed meal.
    4. A light or hasty luncheon.
  5. (Internet slang) A post intended to get a rise out of others.
    Please stop posting bait, or I will have to mute you.
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
References[edit]
  • Newcastle 1970s, Scott Dobson and Dick Irwin, [2]
  • Frank Graham (1987) The New Geordie Dictionary, →ISBN
  • Northumberland Words, English Dialect Society, R. Oliver Heslop, 1893–4
  • Todd's Geordie Words and Phrases, George Todd, Newcastle, 1977[3]
  • A Dictionary of North East Dialect, Bill Griffiths, 2005, Northumbria University Press, →ISBN

Verb[edit]

bait (third-person singular simple present baits, present participle baiting, simple past and past participle baited)

  1. (transitive) To attract with bait; to entice.
  2. (transitive) To affix bait to a trap or a fishing hook or fishing line.
Usage notes[edit]
  • This verb is sometimes confused in writing with the rare verb bate, which is pronounced identically; in particular, the expression with bated breath is frequently misspelled *with baited breath by writers unfamiliar with the verb bate.
Translations[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

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).

Verb[edit]

bait (third-person singular simple present baits, present participle baiting, simple past and past participle baited)

  1. (transitive) To set dogs on (an animal etc.) to bite or worry; to attack with dogs, especially for sport.
    to bait a bear with dogs;  to bait a bull
  2. (transitive) To intentionally annoy, torment, or threaten by constant rebukes or threats; to harass.
    • 1826 February 11 (date written), Walter Scott, “[Entry dated 11 February 1826]”, in David Douglas, editor, The Journal of Sir Walter Scott [], volume I, Edinburgh: David Douglas, published 1890, →OCLC:
      I remember once before, a mad woman, from about Alnwick, by name baited me with letters and plans — first for charity for herself or some protégé — I gave my guinea— then she wanted to have half the profits of a novel which I was to publish under my name and auspices.
  3. (transitive, now rare) To feed and water (a horse or other animal), especially during a journey.
  4. (intransitive) (of a horse or other animal) To take food, especially during a journey.
    • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 22, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes [], book II, London: [] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount [], →OCLC:
      King Cyrus, that he might more speedily receave news from al parts of his Empire (which was of exceeding great length), would needs have it tried how far a horse could in a day goe outright without baiting, at which distance he caused stations to be set up, and men to have fresh horses ready for al such as came to him.
  5. (intransitive) (of a person) To stop to take a portion of food and drink for refreshment during a journey.
See also[edit]

Etymology 3[edit]

French battre de l'aile or des ailes, to flap or flutter.

Verb[edit]

bait (third-person singular simple present baits, present participle baiting, simple past and past participle baited)

  1. (obsolete, intransitive) To flap the wings; to flutter as if to fly; or to hover, as a hawk when she stoops to her prey.

Etymology 4[edit]

Etymology unknown.

Adjective[edit]

bait (comparative baiter, superlative baitest)

  1. (MLE) Obvious; blatant.
    • 2008, “Power”, in Famous?, performed by Jamie "Jme" Adenuga and Tim Westwood:
      I've been at home all day / Cloning £50 notes, this is sick / But it's a bit bait / Cause all the serial numbers are the same / So I can't spend them in the same place
  2. (MLE) Well-known; famous; renowned.
Synonyms[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Cimbrian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle High German wīt, from Old High German wīt, from Proto-Germanic *wīdaz (wide, broad). Cognate with German weit, Dutch wijd, English wide, Icelandic víður.

Adjective[edit]

bait (comparative baitor, superlative dar baitorste) (Sette Comuni, Luserna)

  1. wide, broad
    an baitar bèga wide road
    Dar bèg is bait.The road is wide.
  2. distant, far
    Synonym: vèrre

Declension[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

References[edit]

  • “bait” in Martalar, Umberto Martello; Bellotto, Alfonso (1974) Dizionario della lingua Cimbra dei Sette Communi vicentini, 1st edition, Roana, Italy: Instituto di Cultura Cimbra A. Dal Pozzo

Indonesian[edit]

Indonesian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia id

Etymology[edit]

From Malay bait, from Arabic بَيْت (bayt), from Proto-Semitic *bayt-.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): [ˈba.ɪt̪̚]
  • Hyphenation: ba‧it

Noun[edit]

bait (plural bait-bait, first-person possessive baitku, second-person possessive baitmu, third-person possessive baitnya)

  1. house (abode)
  2. home (house or structure in which someone lives)
  3. (literature) couplet (a pair of lines in poetry)
    Synonyms: untai, kuplet

Derived terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Malay[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Arabic بَيْت (bayt), from Proto-Semitic *bayt-.

Noun[edit]

bait (Jawi spelling بيت, plural bait-bait, informal 1st possessive baitku, 2nd possessive baitmu, 3rd possessive baitnya)

  1. house (abode)
  2. home (house or structure in which someone lives)
  3. (literature) couplet (a pair of lines in poetry)
Descendants[edit]
  • Indonesian: bait

Etymology 2[edit]

From English byte.

Noun[edit]

bait (Jawi spelling باءيت, plural bait-bait, informal 1st possessive baitku, 2nd possessive baitmu, 3rd possessive baitnya)

  1. byte

Further reading[edit]

Marshallese[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (phonetic) IPA(key): [pˠɑːitˠ], (enunciated) [pˠɑ itˠ]
  • (phonemic) IPA(key): /pˠæɰjitˠ/
  • Bender phonemes: {bahyit}

Noun[edit]

bait

  1. boxing

Verb[edit]

bait

  1. hit
  2. punch

References[edit]

Middle English[edit]

Noun[edit]

bait

  1. Alternative form of bayte

Romanian[edit]

Noun[edit]

bait m (plural baiți)

  1. Alternative form of byte

Declension[edit]

Tagalog[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bait. Compare Bikol Central buot, Cebuano buot, Malay baik, and Maori pai.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • Hyphenation: ba‧it
  • IPA(key): /baˈʔit/, [bɐˈʔit]
  • IPA(key): /baˈʔet/, [bɐˈʔɛt] (colloquial)

Noun[edit]

baít (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜁᜆ᜔)

  1. kindness
    Synonyms: kabaitan, kabutihang-loob, kagandahang-loob
  2. senses; clear state of mind
    Synonyms: sentido, sentido-komun, huwisyo, isip
  3. prudence; cautiousness
    Synonyms: timpi, pigil
  4. docility; domesticity

Derived terms[edit]

Welsh[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Verb[edit]

bait

  1. (literary) second-person singular imperfect subjunctive of bod

Synonyms[edit]

Mutation[edit]

Welsh mutation
radical soft nasal aspirate
bait fait mait unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.