transitive verb
- to set attacking dogs against: people formerly baited chained bears for sport
- to attack as such dogs do
- to torment or harass with unprovoked, vicious, repeated attacks
- to tease or goad, esp. so as to provoke a reaction
- to put food, etc. on (a hook or trap) to lure animals or fish
- to lure; tempt; entice
- Archaic to feed (animals) during a break in a journey
Origin:
ME baiten < ON beita < Gmc *baitian, caus. of *bitan: for base see bite
intransitive verb
Archaic to stop for food during a journey
noun
- food, etc. put on a hook or trap to lure fish or animals
- anything used as a lure; enticement
- ☆ Dialectal a large amount: we wolfed down a bait of huckleberries
- Archaic a stop for rest or food during a journey
Origin:
ON beita, lure, fish bait