The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Bait \Bait\ (b[=a]t), v. i. [F. battre de l'aile (or des ailes),
   to flap or flutter. See Batter, v. t.]
   To flap the wings; to flutter as if to fly; or to hover, as a
   hawk when she stoops to her prey. "Kites that bait and beat."
   --Shak.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Bait \Bait\ (b[=a]t), v. i.
   To stop to take a portion of food and drink for refreshment
   of one's self or one's beasts, on a journey.
   [1913 Webster]

         Evil news rides post, while good news baits. --Milton.
   [1913 Webster]

         My lord's coach conveyed me to Bury, and thence baiting
         at Newmarket.                            --Evelyn.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Bait \Bait\ (b[=a]t), n. [Icel. beita food, beit pasture, akin
   to AS. b[=a]t food, Sw. bete. See Bait, v. t.]
   1. Any substance, esp. food, used in catching fish, or other
      animals, by alluring them to a hook, snare, inclosure, or
      net.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Anything which allures; a lure; enticement; temptation.
      --Fairfax.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. A portion of food or drink, as a refreshment taken on a
      journey; also, a stop for rest and refreshment.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. A light or hasty luncheon.
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   Bait bug (Zool.), a crustacean of the genus Hippa found
      burrowing in sandy beaches. See Anomura.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Bait \Bait\ (b[=a]t), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Baited; p. pr. & vb.
   n. Baiting.] [OE. baiten, beit[=e]n, to feed, harass, fr.
   Icel. beita, orig., to cause to bite, fr. b[imac]ta.
   [root]87. See Bite.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. To provoke and harass; esp., to harass or torment for
      sport; as, to bait a bear with dogs; to bait a bull.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To give a portion of food and drink to, upon the road; as,
      to bait horses. --Holland.
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   3. To furnish or cover with bait, as a trap or hook.
      [1913 Webster]

            A crooked pin . . . baited with a vile earthworm.
                                                  --W. Irving.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

bait
    n 1: anything that serves as an enticement [syn: bait, come-
         on, hook, lure, sweetener]
    2: something used to lure fish or other animals into danger so
       they can be trapped or killed [syn: bait, decoy, lure]
    v 1: harass with persistent criticism or carping; "The children
         teased the new teacher"; "Don't ride me so hard over my
         failure"; "His fellow workers razzed him when he wore a
         jacket and tie" [syn: tease, razz, rag, cod,
         tantalize, tantalise, bait, taunt, twit, rally,
         ride]
    2: lure, entice, or entrap with bait
    3: attack with dogs or set dogs upon

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

148 Moby Thesaurus words for "bait":
   aggravate, allure, allurement, annoy, badger, bait the hook,
   baited trap, be at, bedevil, beset, birdlime, bite, blandish, bola,
   bother, bribe, bristle, brown off, bug, bullyrag, burn up, cajole,
   carrot, charm, chivy, coax, cobweb, come-on, decoy, decoy duck,
   devil, discompose, distemper, disturb, dog, dragnet, draw, draw in,
   draw on, drawcard, drawing card, encouragement, endearment,
   ensnare, entice, enticement, entrap, exasperate, exercise, fash,
   fillip, fishhook, flirt, flirt with, fly, get, gill net,
   give the come-on, gripe, ground bait, harass, harry, haze, heckle,
   hector, hook, hound, incentive, incitement, inducement, interest,
   inveigh, inveigle, inveiglement, invitation, irk, jig, lariat,
   lasso, lead on, lime, lure, meshes, miff, molest, morsel, nag,
   needle, net, nettle, noose, nudzh, offer bait to, payment, peeve,
   percentage, persecute, persuasive, pester, pick on, piece, pique,
   plague, pluck the beard, plug, pother, pound net, profit,
   provocation, provoke, purse seine, push around, rag, reward, ride,
   rile, roil, rope in, ruffle, seduce, seducement, seine, snare,
   sniggle, spinner, springe, squid, stimulation, stimulative,
   stimulus, suck in, sweetener, sweetening, tease, tempt, temptation,
   toils, toll, torment, trap, trawl, try the patience,
   tweak the nose, vex, whet, wobbler, woo, worry



The Devil's Dictionary (1881-1906):

BAIT, n.  A preparation that renders the hook more palatable.  The
best kind is beauty.