ENGLISH
REFERENCE

bait

n. · v. · adj.
US //ˈbeɪt// UK //bˈeɪt// bait
  1. 1 fishing/trapping (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Cooking

    food or something similar used to catch fish or animals in a trap.

    a substance, typically food, used to allure fish or other animals to a hook, snare, or trap.

    Example

    He put a small piece of bread on the hook as bait for the fish.

    Example

    The fisherman experimented with various types of live bait to determine which would most effectively attract the deep-sea bass.
  2. 2 a trick or lure (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    something used to trick or persuade someone to do something.

    anything used to entice or allure a person into a specific course of action, often with a deceptive intent.

    Example

    The low price was just bait to get customers into the expensive store.

    Example

    The investigators used the promise of immunity as bait to encourage the witness to testify against the cartel leaders.
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  1. 3 internet provocation (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Computing

    an online post or comment made specifically to make people angry or get a reaction.

    content deliberately designed to elicit a strong, often negative, emotional response from other users.

    Example

    Don't reply to his comment; it's clearly just bait to start an argument.

    Example

    The controversial tweet was dismissed by most users as obvious bait intended to boost engagement through outrage.
  2. 4 to prepare a trap (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to put food on a hook or in a trap to catch an animal.

    to affix an enticement to a trap, hook, or line; also used for laying poisoned food for pest control.

    Example

    We need to bait the mousetrap with some cheese tonight.

    Example

    Before heading out to the lake, the children spent the morning learning how to bait their hooks without injuring themselves.
  3. 5 to tease or annoy (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to intentionally annoy or upset someone by teasing them.

    to deliberately provoke, harass, or torment someone through persistent mockery or insults.

    Example

    The older boys used to bait him about his glasses until he cried.

    Example

    The defence attorney attempted to bait the witness into an angry outburst to undermine her credibility before the jury.
  4. 6 obvious (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Slang British English Dialect

    something that is very easy to see or notice.

    describing something that is blatant, obvious, or well-known within a specific social context.

    Example

    It was so bait that he was lying to the teacher.

    Example

    The suspect's attempt to hide the stolen goods was incredibly bait, as the bag was clearly overflowing in plain sight.

    Teacher's tip

    This sense is specific to Multicultural London English (MLE) and is common among younger speakers in the UK; it is not used in standard American English.
Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

From Middle English bayten, baiten, beiten, from Old Norse beita (“to bait, cause to bite, feed, hunt”), from Proto-Germanic baitijaną (“to cause to bite, bridle”), from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyd- (“to cleave, split, separate”). Cognate with Icelandic beita (“to bait”), Swedish beta (“to bait, pasture, graze”), German beizen (“to cause to bite, bait”), Old English bǣtan (“to bait, hunt, bridle, bit”).

Etymology 3

French battre de l'aile or des ailes, to flap or flutter.

Etymology 4

Etymology unknown.

Word family
Idioms3 entries

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