Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun US, figuratively An old, emaciated
horse
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun an emaciated horse likely soon to become carrion and so attractive to crows
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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Judicial Circuit of Illinois, either on the back of a raw-boned horse, or in a rickety buggy drawn by the same old "crowbait," as his legal friends called the animal.
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Cancellation of the project would therefore be such a massive betrayal that resignations of senior naval officers would surely be inevitable - what an abysmal start that would be for a new government. crowbait
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The dangers are that Brown gives him another hammering on PMQs and the electorate begins to feel he's nothing special and 'better the devil you know' ... crowbait
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Optimal by C. Bid on Wednesday, Apr 25, 2007 at 1: 26: 26 PM crowbait by Mikael Rudolph on Wednesday, Apr 25, 2007 at 1: 43: 41 PM
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Bid ... crowbait by Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo on Monday, Apr 9, 2007 at 3: 51: 14 PM
Fighting Among Us, Will Not Defeat The Hun! As to The Flood...
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"Why, years ago he had the same old crowbait of a horse, and the boys mocked him when he'd keep using the whip, and telling the beast to get along."
Fred Fenton on the Track or, The Athletes of Riverport School
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It was apparent that the whole outfit was in the racing business, and as the crowd looked at the discrepancy between the two horses, and observed that on the best-looking horse was a professional jockey, while on the crowbait was only a girl, something like a groan went up.
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[FOOTNOTE 87: spavined crowbait -- a lame, emaciated horse (from spavin, an inflammation of the tarsal or ankle joint of a horse, causing lameness, and an appearance that causes carrion birds to think a meal is in the offing)] "A very sad --" began Judge Menefee, but his remark was curtailed by a higher authority.
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"Right there is where my lode of information turns to an old spavined crowbait [87], and folds its wings, for I've pumped it dry."
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Indians (Bedouins) with very long spears in their hands, cavorting around on old crowbait horses, and spearing imaginary enemies; whooping, and fluttering their rags in the wind, and carrying on in every respect like
taciturnyetprolix commented on the word crowbait
So jailbait isn't the only word that has -bait as a suffix.
August 10, 2008
she commented on the word crowbait
This word makes me sad. :<
(Oh oh, and: bankbait, bearbait, bullbait, cadbait, clambait, clapbait, codbait, redbait, sharkbait, spoonbait, strawbait, whitebait..)
August 10, 2008
taciturnyetprolix commented on the word crowbait
Thanks for the list. I now remember reading the words bearbait and bullbait in a book about dogs, and all the awful things they were forced to do in Tudor/Victorian England.
August 10, 2008
bilby commented on the word crowbait
Wot, no -bait list?
November 28, 2008