The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.
BAIT
bait, decoy, lure
(noun) something used to lure fish or other animals into danger so they can be trapped or killed
bait, come-on, hook, lure, sweetener
(noun) anything that serves as an enticement
tease, razz, rag, cod, tantalize, tantalise, bait, taunt, twit, rally, ride
(verb) harass with persistent criticism or carping; “The children teased the new teacher”; “Don’t ride me so hard over my failure”; “His fellow workers razzed him when he wore a jacket and tie”
bait
(verb) attack with dogs or set dogs upon
bait
(verb) lure, entice, or entrap with bait
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology 1
Noun
bait (countable and uncountable, plural baits)
Any substance, especially food, used in catching fish, or other animals, by alluring them to a hook, snare, trap, or net.
Food containing poison or a harmful additive to kill animals that are pests.
Anything which allures; something used to lure or entice someone or something into doing something
A portion of food or drink, as a refreshment taken on a journey; also, a stop for rest and refreshment.
(Geordie) A packed lunch.
(East Anglia) A small meal taken mid-morning while farming.
(Northern England) A miner's packed meal.
A light or hasty luncheon.
Verb
bait (third-person singular simple present baits, present participle baiting, simple past and past participle baited)
(transitive) To attract with bait; to entice.
(transitive) To affix bait to a trap or a fishing hook or fishing line.
Usage notes
• This verb is sometimes confused in writing with the rare verb bate, which is pronounced identically; in particular, the expression with bated breath is frequently misspelled *with baited breath by writers unfamiliar with the verb bate.
Etymology 2
Verb
bait (third-person singular simple present baits, present participle baiting, simple past and past participle baited)
(transitive) To set dogs on (an animal etc.) to bite or worry; to attack with dogs, especially for sport.
(transitive) To intentionally annoy, torment, or threaten by constant rebukes or threats; to harass.
(transitive, now rare) To feed and water (a horse or other animal), especially during a journey.
(intransitive) (of a horse or other animal) To take food, especially during a journey.
(intransitive) (of a person) To stop to take a portion of food and drink for refreshment during a journey.
Etymology 3
Verb
bait (third-person singular simple present baits, present participle baiting, simple past and past participle baited)
(obsolete, intransitive) To flap the wings; to flutter as if to fly; or to hover, as a hawk when she stoops to her prey.
Etymology 4
Adjective
bait (comparative more bait, superlative most bait)
(Multicultural London English) Obvious; blatant.
(Multicultural London English) Well-known; famous; renowned.
Synonyms
• (obvious): See also obvious
• (well-known): See also famous
Anagrams
• IBAT, a bit, bati, tabi
Source: Wiktionary
Bait, n. Etym: [Icel. beita food, beit pasture, akin to AS. bat food, Sw. bete. See Bait, v. i.]
1. Any substance, esp. food, used in catching fish, or other animals, by alluring them to a hook, snare, inclosure, or net.
2. Anything which allures; a lure; enticement; temptation. Fairfax.
3. A portion of food or drink, as a refreshment taken on a journey; also, a stop for rest and refreshment.
4. A light or hasty luncheon. Bait bug (Zoöl), a crustacean of the genus Hippa found burrowing in sandy beaches. See Anomura.
Bait, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Baited; p. pr. & vb. n. Baiting.] Etym: [OE. baiten, beit, to feed, harass, fr. Icel. beita, orig. to cause to bite, fr. bita. sq. root87. See Bite.]
1. To provoke and harass; esp., to harass or torment for sport; as, to bait a bear with dogs; to bait a bull.
2. To give a portion of food and drink to, upon the road; as, to bait horses. Holland.
3. To furnish or cover with bait, as a trap or hook. A crooked pin . . . bailed with a vile earthworm. W. Irving.
Bait, v. i.
Definition: To stop to take a portion of food and drink for refreshment of one's self or one's beasts, on a journey. Evil news rides post, while good news baits. Milton. My lord's coach conveyed me to Bury, and thence baiting aEvelyn.
Bait, v. i. Etym: [F. battre de l'aile (or des ailes), to flap oBatter, v. i.]
Definition: To flap 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.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
24 December 2024
INTUITIVELY
(adverb) in an intuitive manner; “inventors seem to have chosen intuitively a combination of explosive and aggressive sounds as warning signals to be used on automobiles”
Coffee Trivia
