Unbaited

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having no bait fixed on a hook, trap, or lure, so nothing is set out to attract fish or animals
2. Describing a hook, trap, or snare that has not been fitted with any lure or enticement
3. Left without any attractant, such as food or scent, to draw creatures in

Etymology: "Unbaited" is simply the English prefix "un-", meaning "not", attached to "baited," the past participle of "bait." The base word is ancient in English, traceable to Old English roots tied to the practice of luring animals with food, and "bait" itself gave rise to the verb "to bait," meaning to set a lure, and later to torment or harass someone, a sense rooted in setting dogs upon a captive animal. Combining "un-" with "baited" yields the sense of something that has not been furnished with a lure or bait. The construction is a straightforward one, and the word's meaning follows directly from its parts: a hook, trap, or line that has no bait on it is unbaited.

Synonyms: unbaited hook, unbaited

Antonyms: baited