5 entries under this word
n. [Icel. beita, food, beit, pasture, Sw. bete, food. See infra.]
v. t. [imp. & p. p. BAITED; p. pr. & vb. n. BAITING.] [A-S. bĭtan, to bait, Sw. beta, to feed, Ger. beizen, to bait, derived from A-S. bītan, Icel. & Sw. bita, Goth. beitan, O. H. Ger. bizan, pizan, N. H. Ger. beissen, Eng. bite.]
Sense 1. To put on or in, as on a hook or in an inclosure, to allure fish, fowls, and other animals into human power.
A crooked pin for a hook, baited with a vile earth-worm. W. Irving.
Sense 2. To give a portion of food and drink to, upon the road; as, to bait horses. Holland.
To stop to take a portion of food and drink for refreshment on a journey.
My lord's coach conveyed me to Bury, and thence baiting at Newmarket. Evelyn.
v. t. [See supra. Cf. A-S. bate, contention.] To provoke and harass; as, to bait a bear with dogs.
v. i. [Fr. battre, Ō. Fr. batre, to beat or strike, from Lat. batuere, to strike, beat; Fr. battre de l'aile or des ailes, to flap or flutter.] To clap the wings; to flutter as if to fly; or to hover, as a hawk when she stoops to her prey. “Kites that bait and beat.” Shak.