Bait Meaning
/beɪt/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAny substance, especially food, used in catching fish, or other animals, by alluring them to a hook, snare, trap, or net.
nounFood containing poison or a harmful additive to kill animals that are pests.
Sentence Examples
I put a bait on a hook.
Before he went fishing, he dug up some worms for bait.
CEFR Practice Quiz
To catch a large fish, you need to use a shiny lure as ____ on the hook.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The fisherman used a small worm as ____ to catch some fish today.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English bayte, bait, beite, from Old Norse beita (“food, bait”), from Proto-Germanic *baitō (“that which is bitten, bait”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- (“to cleave, split, separate”). Cognate with German Beize (“mordant, corrosive fluid; marinade”), Old English bāt (“that which can be bitten, food, bait”). Related to bite.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"One of the “girls” used in this way, Pamella Bordes, later spoke of being “part of an enormous group … used as sexual bait.”"
— 2017 June 7, Adam Lusher, “Adnan Khashoggi: the 'whoremonger' whose arms deals funded a playboy life of decadence and 'pleasure wives'”, in The Independent, London:
"A short stop, but no refreshment. Such baits are frequently given by the natives of the principality to their keffels, or horses, particularly after climbing a hill."
— 1824, Thomas Fielding, Select Proverbs of All Nations, page 132:
"The tediousness of a two hours' bait at Petty-France, in which there was nothing to be done but to eat without being hungry, and loiter about without any thing to see, next followed […]"
— 1803 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter XX, in Northanger Abbey; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC, page page 70:
"a crooked pin […] baited with a vile earthworm"
— 1819 June 23 – 1820 September 13, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “(please specify the title)”, in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., New York, N.Y.: […] C[ornelius] S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC:
"I remember once before, a mad woman, from about Alnwick, by name baited me with letters and plans — first for charity for herself or some protégé — I gave my guinea— then she wanted to have half the profits of a novel which I was to publish under my name and auspices."
— 1826 February 11 (date written), Walter Scott, “[Entry dated 11 February 1826]”, in David Douglas, editor, The Journal of Sir Walter Scott […], volume I, Edinburgh: David Douglas, published 1890, →OCLC:
Explore More C2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
To catch a large fish, you need to use a shiny lure as ____ on the hook.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The fisherman used a small worm as ____ to catch some fish today.