bait

bait is defined in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913) with 8 senses, and appears in Roget's Thesaurus (1911) with 40 related terms. The full text of each entry is reproduced verbatim below.

Definitions

  1. 1.Anything which allures; a lure; enticement; temptation. Fairfax.
  2. 2.A portion of food or drink, as a refreshment taken on a journey; also, a stop for rest and refreshment.
  3. 3.A light or hasty luncheon. Bait bug (Zoöl), a crustacean of the genus Hippa found burrowing in sandy beaches. See Anomura.
  4. 4.To provoke and harass; esp., to harass or torment for sport; as, to bait a bear with dogs; to bait a bull.
  5. 5.To give a portion of food and drink to, upon the road; as, to bait horses. Holland.
  6. 6.To furnish or cover with bait, as a trap or hook. A crooked pin . . . bailed with a vile earthworm. W. Irving.
  7. 7.To stop to take a portion of food and drink for refreshment of one's self or one's beasts, on a journey. Evil news rides post, while good news baits. Milton. My lord's coach conveyed me to Bury, and thence baiting aEvelyn.
  8. 8.To flap the wings; to flutter as if to fly; or to hover, as a hawk when she stoops to her prey. "Kites that bait and beat." Shak.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is bait.

Sources

  • Definitions: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
  • Synonyms & antonyms: Roget's Thesaurus, 1911 edition (public domain, via Project Gutenberg eBook #10681).
  • Canonical URL: https://worddirectanswers.com/word/bait
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