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bait

  [beyt]
Use baiting in a Sentence
–noun
1. food, or some substitute, used as a lure in fishing, trapping, etc.
2. a poisoned lure used in exterminating pests.
3. an allurement; enticement: Employees were lured with the bait of annual bonuses.
4. an object for pulling molten or liquefied material, as glass, from a vat or the like by adhesion.
5. South Midland and Southern U.S.
a. a large or sufficient quantity or amount: He fetched a good bait of wood.
b. an excessive quantity or amount.
6. British Slang. food.
–verb (used with object)
7. to prepare (a hook or trap) with bait.
8. to entice by deception or trickery so as to entrap or destroy: using fake signal lights to bait the ships onto the rocks.
9. to attract, tempt, or captivate.
10. to set dogs upon (an animal) for sport.
11. to worry, torment, or persecute, esp. with malicious remarks: a nasty habit of baiting defenseless subordinates.
12. to tease: They love to bait him about his gaudy ties.
13. to feed and water (a horse or other animal), esp. during a journey.
–verb (used without object) Archaic.
14. to stop for food or refreshment during a journey.
15. (of a horse or other animal) to take food; feed.
Origin:
1150–1200; ME bait, beit (n.), baiten (v.) < ON, prob. reflecting both beita to pasture, hunt, chase with dogs or hawks (ult. causative of bíta to bite; cf. bate 3 ) and beita fish bait

Related forms:
baiter, noun

Synonyms:
11. badger, heckle, pester.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To baiting
bait 1   (bāt)   
n.  
    1. Food or other lure placed on a hook or in a trap and used in the taking of fish, birds, or other animals.
    2. Something, such as a worm, used for this purpose.
  2. An enticement; a temptation.
  3. Archaic A stop for food or rest during a trip.
v.   bait·ed, bait·ing, baits

v.   tr.
  1. To place a lure in (a trap) or on (a fishing hook).
  2. To entice, especially by trickery or strategy.
  3. To set dogs upon (a chained animal, for example) for sport.
  4. To attack or torment, especially with persistent insults, criticism, or ridicule.
  5. To tease.
  6. To feed (an animal), especially on a journey.
v.   intr. Archaic
To stop for food or rest during a trip.

[Middle English, from Old Norse beita, food, fodder, fish bait. V., from Old Norse beita, to put animals to pasture, hunt with dogs; see bheid- in Indo-European roots.]
bait'er n.
Usage Note: The word baited is sometimes incorrectly substituted for the etymologically correct but unfamiliar word bated ("abated; suspended") in the expression bated breath.
bate 2 also bait   (bāt)   
intr.v.   bat·ed also bait·ed, bat·ing also bait·ing, bates also baits
To flap the wings wildly or frantically. Used of a falcon.

[Middle English baten, from Old French batre, to beat; see batter1.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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