bait
1. bait \'ba-t\ vt [ME baiten, fr. ON beita; akin to OE b-tan to
bai]t, bi-tan to bite 1a: to persecute or exasperate with wanton,
malicious, or persistent attac ks 1b: NAG, TEASE 2a: to harass with dogs
usu. for sport 2b: to attack by biting and tearing 3a: to furnish with
bait 3b: ENTICE, LURE 4: to give food and drink to (an animal) esp. on
the road archaic : to stop for food and rest when travelingMHOUND mean to
harass by efforts to break down. BAIT implies wanton cruelty or delight in
persecuting a helpless victim; BADGER implies pestering so as to drive a
person to confusion or frenzy; HECKLE implies persistent interruptive
questioning of a speaker in order to confuse or discomfit him; HECTOR
carries an implication of bullying and domineering that breaks the spirit;
CHIVY suggests persecution by teasing or nagging; HOUND implies unrelenting
pursuit and harassing - bait.er n SYN syn BAIT, BADGER, HECKLE, HECTOR,
CHIVY, (
2. bait n [ON beit pasturage & beita food; akin to OE bi-tan to bite] 1:
something used in luring esp. to a hook or trap; also : a poison ous
material distributed as food to kill pests 2: LURE, TEMPTATION