bearbait

An instance of bearbaiting.

Could any thing afford a stronger contrast to the grave and certainly severe study to which Elizabeth had habituated herself, than the vain and fantastic puerility of many of her recreations and habits, the unintellectual brutality of the bearbaits which she admired, or the gaudy and glittering pageants in which she delighted?

Congleton had a reputation for bearbaiting and went to some lengths to protect it, sending messengers to Knutsford and Bunbury to ensure that the bearwards got to the Congleton bearbait (see pp 639, 653).

Bait used to lure bears.

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.

Even with the use of permits and other restrictions, baiting is still widely practiced, as shown by the following quote from T.V. Russell, Supervisor of Shoshone National Forest: "Enclosed is a copy of the bearbait permit we have been issuing on the Shoshone National Forest for the past two years. We have a general guideline that baits must be 2½-3 miles apart.

A person or animal that is not very useful or respected.

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.

Listen you ol' chunk of bearbait, you get ornery with me and I'll sic Mollie on you again.

To torment or provoke.

Creditors, snarling, hound him on from without; mocked Hopes, lost Labours, bearbait him from within: to these torments his fixed-idea keeps him chained.

He used to fight the larger negro boys when they would bearbait dogs by tying tin cans to their tails.