bearbaiting

[ bair-bey-ting ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

First recorded in 1580–90; bear ², bait (in the sense “to set dogs upon for sport”), -ing ¹( def )

The Puritan hated bearbaiting, not because it gave pain to the bear, but because it gave pleasure to the spectators.

By this the whole matter had presented itself to them as an entertainment more diverting than bullfight or bearbaiting.

April 23, 2024inveterate

[in-vet-er-it ]

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