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bait

Definition

  • noun: something (such as a piece of food) that is used to attract fish or animals so they can be caught
  • verb: to persecute or exasperate with unjust, malicious, or persistent attacks
  • verb: to put a piece of food on (a hook) or in (a trap) in order to attract and catch fish or animals
  • often used figuratively
  • synonyms: lure, enticement, temptation

Examples

  • The police waited for the bank robbers to 'take the bait'. [=to be tricked into doing the thing that would cause them to be trapped or caught]

  • ('chiefly Brit') The interviewer kept asking the politician whether he was lying, and he 'rose to the bait' by getting angry.

  • She 'baited' the mousetraps with pieces of cheese. = She used cheese to 'bait' the traps.

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