bait / bāt/ • n. food used to entice fish or other animals as prey: herrings make excellent bait for pike. ∎ fig. an allurement; a thing intended to tempt or entice: many potential buyers are reluctant to take the bait.• v. [tr.] 1. deliberately annoy or taunt (someone): the other boys reveled in baiting him about his love of literature. ∎  torment (a trapped or restrained animal), esp. by allowing dogs to attack it.2. prepare (a hook, trap, net, or fishing area) with bait to entice fish or animals as prey: she baited a trap with carrots and corn. ∎ fig. lure; entice: workers baited by your carrot powers of hiring.PHRASES: rise to the bait react to a provocation or temptation exactly as intended: Jenny was being provocatively rude, but he never rose to the bait.

bait
A. set dogs on XII;

B. provide provender for XIV;

C. furnish with bait XIV. A and B — ON. beita pasture, hunt or chase with dogs or hawks, causal of bita BITE. Sense C prob. f. bait, sb. food (partly — ON. beit and partly f. the vb. (B)).