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bait

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: bait- and -bait

English

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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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.

Noun

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bait (countable and uncountable, plural baits)

  2. 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
  3. Food containing poison or a harmful additive to kill animals that are pests.
  4. Anything which allures; something or someone 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
  5. 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. […], volume (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, Durham) A packed lunch - the bite to eat a worker took with them to eat
    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.
  7. (Internet slang) A post intended to elicit a, usually strong or negative, reaction from others.
    Please stop posting bait, or I will have to mute you.
Alternative forms
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  • (abbreviation) b8
Derived terms
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Translations
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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb

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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.
  3. (transitive) To lay baits in an environment to control pest species.
  4. (transitive) To target a pest species by laying baits.
Usage notes
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  • 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.
Alternative forms
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  • (abbreviation) b8
Translations
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References

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  • Scott Dobson, Dick Irwin “bait”, in Newcastle 1970s: Durham & Tyneside Dialect Group‎[2], archived from the original on 2024-09-05.
  • Frank Graham, editor (1987), “BAIT”, in The New Geordie Dictionary, Rothbury, Northumberland: Butler Publishing, →ISBN.
  • Northumberland Words, English Dialect Society, R. Oliver Heslop, 1893–4
  • Todd's Geordie Words and Phrases, George Todd, Newcastle, 1977[3]
  • Bill Griffiths, editor (2004), “bait”, in A Dictionary of North East Dialect, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear: Northumbria University Press, →ISBN.

Etymology 2

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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

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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.
    Synonyms: badger, hound; see also Thesaurus:pester
    • 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.
    • 2025 February 28, Jonah Goldberg, “Dishonor and Incompetence in the Oval Office”, in The Dispatch:
      But [US Vice President J.D.] Vance, the champion of diplomacy, shouldn’t have baited a war-weary man fighting for the survival of his country in the first place.
  3. (transitive, archaic) 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.
    • 1821, John Clare, “[Poems.] Sunday Walks.”, in The Village Minstrel, and Other Poems, volume II, London: […] [T. Miller] for Taylor and Hessey, […]; and E[dward] Drury, […], →OCLC, pages 105–106:
      [H]orses' playful neigh, / From rustic's whips, and plough, and waggon, free, / Baiting in careless freedom o'er the leas, / Or turn'd to knap each other at their ease.
  5. (intransitive) (of a person) To stop to take a portion of food and drink for refreshment during a journey.
See also
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Etymology 3

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

Verb

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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

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Etymology unknown.

Adjective

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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
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References

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  • Tony Thorne (2014) “bait”, in Dictionary of Contemporary Slang, 4th edition, London,  […]: Bloomsbury

Anagrams

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Cimbrian

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Etymology

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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

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

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

Declension

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Positive forms of bait
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter all genders
predicative èar ist bait zi ist bait is ist bait ze zèint bait
with definite article nominative dar baite de baita 's baite de baiten
accusative in baiten de baita 's baite de baiten
dative me baiten dar baiten me baiten in baiten
with indefinite article nominative an baitar an baita an baites (khòone) baiten
accusative an baiten an baita an baites (khòone) baiten
dative aname baiten anara baiten aname baiten (khòonen) baiten
without article nominative baite
accusative baite
dative baiten
Comparative forms of bait
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter all genders
predicative èar ist baitor zi ist baitor is ist baitor ze zèint baitor
with definite article nominative dar baitore de baitora 's baitore de baitorn
accusative in baitorn de baitora 's baitore de baitorn
dative me baitorn dar baitorn me baitorn in baitorn
with indefinite article nominative an baitorar an baitora an baitors (khòone) baitorn
accusative an baitorn an baitora an baitors (khòone) baitorn
dative aname baitorn anara baitorn aname baitorn (khòonen) baitorn
without article nominative baitore
accusative baitore
dative baitorn
Superlative forms of bait
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter all genders
predicative èar ist dar baitorste zi ist dar baitorsta is ist dar baitorste ze zèint dar baitorste
with definite article nominative dar baitorste de baitorsta 's baitorste de baitorsten
accusative in baitorsten de baitorsta 's baitorste de baitorsten
dative me baitorsten dar baitorsten me baitorsten in baitorsten
with indefinite article nominative an baitorstar an baitorsta an baitorstes (khòone) baitorsten
accusative an baitorsten an baitorsta an baitorstes (khòone) baitorsten
dative aname baitorsten anara baitorsten aname baitorsten (khòonen) baitorsten
without article nominative baitorste
accusative baitorste
dative baitorsten

Derived terms

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References

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  • “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

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Indonesian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia id

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈba.it/, [ˈba.ɪt̪̚]

Etymology 1

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

Noun

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bait (plural bait-bait)

  1. house (abode)
  2. home (house or structure in which someone lives)
  3. (literature) couplet (a pair of lines in poetry)
    Synonyms: untai, kuplet
  4. (literature) stanza (a unit of a poem, often in the form of a paragraph)
    Synonym: stanza
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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Borrowed from Malay bait, from English byte.

Noun

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bait (plural bait-bait)

  1. (nonstandard) Alternative spelling of bita

Further reading

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Malay

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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

Noun

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bait (Jawi spelling بيت, plural bait-bait)

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

Etymology 2

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From English byte.

Noun

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bait (Jawi spelling باٴيت, plural bait-bait)

  1. byte

Further reading

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Marshallese

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Pronunciation

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

Noun

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bait

  1. boxing

Verb

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bait

  1. hit
  2. punch

References

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Middle English

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Noun

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bait

  1. Alternative form of bayte

Portuguese

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Etymology

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Unadapted borrowing from English bait.

Pronunciation

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  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈbej.t͡ʃi/ [ˈbeɪ̯.t͡ʃi], /ˈbejt͡ʃ/ [ˈbeɪ̯t͡ʃ]
    • (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈbejt͡ʃ/ [ˈbeɪ̯t͡ʃ], /ˈbej.t͡ʃi/ [ˈbeɪ̯.t͡ʃi]

Noun

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bait m (plural baits)

  1. (Internet slang) bait (post intended to elicit a reaction from others)

Further reading

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  • “bait”, in Dicionário inFormal (in Portuguese), 2006–2025

Romanian

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Noun

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bait m (plural baiți)

  1. Alternative form of byte

Declension

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Declension of bait
singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative-accusative bait baitul baiți baiții
genitive-dative bait baitului baiți baiților
vocative baitule baiților

Tagalog

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Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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  • (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /baˈʔit/ [bɐˈʔɪt̪̚], (colloquial) /baˈʔet/ [bɐˈʔɛt̪̚]
  • Rhymes: -it
  • Syllabification: ba‧it

Noun

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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

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Anagrams

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Welsh

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Alternative forms

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Verb

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bait

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

Synonyms

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Mutation

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Mutated forms of bait
radical soft nasal aspirate
bait fait mait unchanged

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

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