Esca
/ˈɛskə/noun
A bait or lure, especially one used to attract fish or other animals.
Did you know?Latin esca meant both “food” and “bait,” revealing an ancient linguistic link between nourishment and deception: what attracts you may also trap you.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁ed-
“To eat or consume”
Proto-Italic
Proto-Italic
*edskā
“Food or something used as food”
Classical Latin
Latin
esca
“Food, nourishment, or bait”
Medieval Latin
Latin
esca
“Food or bait; the sense continued in learned and technical usage”
17th Century
English
esca
“Bait or lure, especially for fishing”
Modern English
English
esca
“A bait or lure used to attract an animal”