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cebo

SEH-boh/ˈθeβo/ (Spain), /ˈseβo/ (Latin America)

bait

Also: feed, primer
NounmA2
Latin America
A small, wriggling earthworm on a simple metal fishing hook.

📝 In Action

Puse un gusano en el anzuelo como cebo.

A2

I put a worm on the hook as bait.

El pescador olvidó comprar el cebo vivo.

B1

The fisherman forgot to buy the live bait.

Los cazadores dejaron cebo para atraer al animal.

B2

The hunters left bait to attract the animal.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • carnada (bait)
  • señuelo (decoy/lure)

Antonyms

  • repelente (repellent)

Common Collocations

  • picar el cebo – to take the bait
  • poner el cebo – to set the bait
  • cebo vivo – live bait

lure, enticement

Also: clickbait
NounmB2
A wooden box trap propped up with a stick, with a bright red apple underneath it as a lure.

📝 In Action

Ese precio tan bajo era solo un cebo publicitario.

B2

That low price was just an advertising lure.

No caigas en el cebo de sus promesas vacías.

B2

Don't fall for the bait of his empty promises.

Muchos videos usan títulos exagerados como cebo.

C1

Many videos use exaggerated titles as clickbait.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Idioms & Expressions

  • tragar el cebo – To believe a lie or fall for a trick completely

I bait, I prime

Also: I fatten up
VerbB1regular ar
A pair of hands carefully placing a piece of bread onto a fishing hook.
gerundcebando
past Participlecebado
infinitivecebar

📝 In Action

Yo siempre cebo el anzuelo con cuidado.

B1

I always bait the hook carefully.

En Argentina, yo cebo el mate para mis amigos.

B1

In Argentina, I prime/prepare the mate for my friends.

Cebo a las gallinas todas las mañanas.

B1

I feed/fatten up the chickens every morning.

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedescebaran
yocebara
túcebaras
vosotroscebarais
nosotroscebáramos
él/ella/ustedcebara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesceben
yocebe
túcebes
vosotroscebéis
nosotroscebemos
él/ella/ustedcebe

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedescebaron
yocebé
túcebaste
vosotroscebasteis
nosotroscebamos
él/ella/ustedcebó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedescebaban
yocebaba
túcebabas
vosotroscebabais
nosotroscebábamos
él/ella/ustedcebaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesceban
yocebo
túcebas
vosotroscebáis
nosotroscebamos
él/ella/ustedceba
View All Tenses & Moods →

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✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: cebo

Question 1 of 3

If you are fishing and need to put a worm on your hook, what are you looking for?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
cebar(to bait / to feed) — Verb
cebadero(fattening pen) — Noun
cebado(fattened / primed) — Adjective
cebadura(the act of baiting) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
bebodebomancebo
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'cibus', which means 'food'. It originally referred to any kind of nourishment before specializing into bait and animal feed.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: ceboItalian: cibo

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'cebo' the same as 'carnada'?

Yes! They are synonyms. 'Carnada' is more common in Latin America for fishing, while 'cebo' is common in Spain and can also mean animal feed or metaphorical lures.

Does 'cebo' sound like any other words?

Yes, in Latin America, 'cebo' (bait) sounds exactly like 'sebo' (fat). You have to tell them apart by the context of the sentence.

Can 'cebo' be a verb?

Sort of! 'Cebo' is the 'I' form (present tense) of the verb 'cebar'. So 'Yo cebo' means 'I bait' or 'I feed'.