Home › Words › B › bearbaitbearbaitbearbait means an instance of bearbaiting.EtymologyFrom bear + bait.nounAn instance of bearbaiting.Bait used to lure bears.e.g.“I went first this morning to the carcass of the bison we had killed for bearbait ; I found a bear had been there, and had already had his breakfast.” — 1940, Annals of Wyoming - Volume 12, page 97:A person or animal that is not very useful or respected.e.g.“The worst ones for straying, curiously enough, were three broken-down old “bearbaits,” which went by themselves, as is generally the case with the cast-off horses of a herd.” — 1892, The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine - Volume 44, page 713:verbTo torment or provoke.e.g.“Creditors, snarling, hound him on from without; mocked Hopes, lost Labours, bearbait him from within: to these torments his fixed-idea keeps him chained.” — 1857, Thomas Carlyle, Critical and Miscellaneous Essays, page 25:Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).Words closest in meaningBy meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.bearbaiter 89% match — One who takes part in bearbaiting. vs bearbait →bearbaiting 83% match — A blood sport in which dogs are set upon a chained bear vs bearbait →bearhound 70% match — A dog used for bearbaiting or bear hunting. vs bearbait →bearleader 69% match — Someone who handles and keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments such as bearbaiting or dancing displays; a bearward. vs bearbait →bearward 67% match — Someone who handles and keeps bears (and sometimes other animals such as apes and bulls), especially for use in public entertainments such as baiting or dancing displays; a bearherd. vs bearbait →cynarctomachy 67% match — bearbaiting with a dog vs bearbait →baiting 65% match — A bloodsport involving the act of worrying or tormenting a chained or confined animal by setting dogs upon it. vs bearbait →bearling 65% match — A small, young, or juvenile bear. vs bearbait →