n.
- food used to entice fish or other animals as prey.
- variant spelling of bate1.
v.
- deliberately annoy or taunt.
- allow dogs to attack (a trapped or restrained animal).
- put bait on (a hook) or in (a trap, net, etc.).
Phrase
- rise to the bait
react to a provocation or temptation exactly as intended.
Etymology
ME: from ON beit ‘pasture, food’, beita ‘to hunt or chase’.