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   Bait

   /bāt/

   

   noun

   • 1. food used to entice fish or other animals as prey: "herrings make excellent bait for pike" Similar luredecoyflytrolljigplugteaser
   • ▪ an allurement; a thing intended to tempt or entice: "many potential buyers are reluctant to take the bait" Similar enticementluredecoysnaretrapsirencarrotattractiondrawmagnetincentivetemptationallurementincitementinducementinformal:come-on
   • 2. variant spelling of bate

   verb

   • 1. deliberately annoy or taunt (someone): "the other boys reveled in baiting him about his love of literature"
   • ▪ torment (a trapped or restrained animal), especially by allowing dogs to attack it: "people who bait badgers"
   • 2. prepare (a hook, trap, net, or fishing area) with bait to entice fish or animals as prey: "she baited a trap with carrots and corn"

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old Norse beit ‘pasture, food’, beita ‘to hunt or chase’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. baiter noun

   Scrabble Points: 6

   • B

     3

   • A

     1

   • I

     1

   • T

     1

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