bait

bait · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeyd-
2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéydt
3. Proto-Germanic*bītaną
4. Proto-Germanic*baitijaną
5. Old Norsebeita
6. Middle Englishbayte
7. English todaybait

From Middle English bayte, bait, beite, from Old Norse beita (“food, bait”), from Proto-Germanic *baitō (“that which is bitten, bait”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- (“to cleave, split, separate”). Cognate with German Beize (“mordant, corrosive fluid; marinade”), Old English bāt (“that which can be bitten, food, bait”). Related to bite.

bait · verb²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰeyd-“to cleave, split, separate”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*baitijaną“to cause to bite, bridle”
3. Old Norse · derived frombeita“to bait, cause to bite, feed, hunt”
4. Middle English · inherited frombayten
5. English todaybait

From Middle English bayten, baiten, beiten, from Old Norse beita (“to bait, cause to bite, feed, hunt”), from Proto-Germanic *baitijaną (“to cause to bite, bridle”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- (“to cleave, split, separate”). Cognate with Icelandic beita (“to bait”), Swedish beta (“to bait, pasture, graze”), German beizen (“to cause to bite, bait”), Old English bǣtan (“to bait, hunt, bridle, bit”).

bait · verb³

French battre de l'aile or des ailes, to flap or flutter.

bait · adjective⁴

Etymology unknown.

Words from the same roots