Bait vs Vex - What's the difference?
bait | vex | Synonyms |
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; a lure; enticement; temptation.
A portion of food or drink, as a refreshment taken on a journey; also, a stop for rest and refreshment.
A light or hasty luncheon.
To attract with bait; to entice.
To affix bait to a trap or a fishing hook or fishing line.
* Washington Irving
To set dogs on (an animal etc.) to bite or worry; to attack with dogs, especially for sport.
:to bait''' a bear with dogs; to '''bait a bull
To intentionally annoy, torment, or threaten by constant rebukes or threats; to harass.
To feed and water (a horse or other animal), especially during a journey.
*, Bk.V, Ch.ix:
*:And than they com into a lowe medow that was full of swete floures, and there thes noble knyghtes bayted her horses.
Of a horse or other animal: to take food, especially during a journey.
*, II.22:
*:King Cyrus , that he might more speedily receave news from al parts of his Empire (which was of exceeding great length), would needs have it tried how far a horse could in a day goe outright without baiting , at which distance he caused stations to be set up, and men to have fresh horses ready for al such as came to him.
To stop to take a portion of food and drink for refreshment during a journey.
*Milton
*:Evil news rides post, while good news baits .
*Evelyn
*:My lord's coach conveyed me to Bury, and thence baiting at Newmarket.
(obsolete) To flap the wings; to flutter as if to fly; or to hover, as a hawk when she stoops to her prey.
* Shakespeare
To trouble aggressively, to harass.
* 1526 , (William Tyndale), trans. Bible , Acts XII:
To annoy, irritate.
To cause (mental) suffering to; to distress.
(rare) To twist, to weave.
* Dryden
(obsolete) To be irritated; to fret.
To toss back and forth; to agitate; to disquiet.
* Alexander Pope
Bait is a synonym of vex.
As an adjective bait
is .As a noun vex is
(space|esa).bait
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) bait, beite, from (etyl) .Noun
(en noun)- (Fairfax)
Usage notes
Used in Geordie dialect of English to denote your lunch at work as opposed to other meals. Also used in East Anglian dialect of English to denote a small meal taken mid-morning while farming, and in the North of England to denote a snack taken by miners to eat while working.Derived terms
* baiting * flamebait * jailbait * shark baitReferences
* * * * *Verb
(en verb)- a crooked pin bailed with a vile earthworm
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 *(term) by writers unfamiliar with the verb (bate).Etymology 2
From (etyl) baiten, beiten, from (etyl) .Verb
(en verb)See also
*Etymology 3
(etyl) battre de l'aile'' or ''des ailes , to flap or flutter.Verb
(en verb)- Kites that bait and beat.
Anagrams
* ----vex
English
Verb
(es)- In that tyme Herode the kynge layed hondes on certayne of the congregacion, to vexe them.
- Billy's professor was vexed by his continued failure to improve his grades.
- some English wool, vexed in a Belgian loom
- (Chapman)
- White curl the waves, and the vexed ocean roars.