Any substance, especially food, used in catching fish, or other animals, by alluring them to a hook, snare, trap, or net.
"The angler carefully selected fresh worms as bait to lure the trout into the trap."
In plain English: Bait is something used to attract and catch fish or animals.
"The fisherman threw some worms onto the hook to act as bait for the big trout."
lure, entice, or entrap with bait
"The fisherman cast his line into the murky water to see if he could catch a large bass with some fresh shrimp as bait."
attack with dogs or set dogs upon
"The hunter ordered his hounds to bait the wounded deer until it collapsed from exhaustion."
To attract with bait; to entice.
"The falcon hovered in the air and baited before diving sharply at the rabbit below."
To set dogs on (an animal etc.) to bite or worry; to attack with dogs, especially for sport.
To flap the wings; to flutter as if to fly; or to hover, as a hawk when she stoops to her prey.
In plain English: To bait something is to put out food or other things to attract animals so you can catch them.
"The fisherman used a worm to bait his hook for big catches."
Usage: Use "bait" primarily in the context of luring fish or animals with food rather than as a synonym for provoking someone emotionally. When referring to setting dogs on prey, ensure the sentence clearly indicates an aggressive hunting scenario involving canines.
Obvious; blatant.
"His sudden generosity was nothing more than obvious bait to lure his rivals into a trap."
The word "bait" comes from the Middle English bayte, borrowed directly from Old Norse where it meant "food." It entered modern usage with this same sense of something used to attract fish or animals.