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bat1 definition

bat (bat)

noun

  1. any stout club, stick, or cudgel
  2. a club used to strike the ball in baseball and cricket
  3. a ping-pong paddle, squash racket, etc.
  4. ☆ a turn at batting, as in baseball
    see also at-bat
  5. Brit. a batsman at cricket
  6. cotton batting, esp. of an inferior quality; batt
  7. the whip used by a jockey
  8. Informal a blow or hit
  9. ☆ Slang a drinking bout; spree
  10. Brit., Informal fast pace; speed
  11. Ceramics a plaster disk on which the clay is based in modeling

Etymology: ME < OE batt, cudgel (prob. < Welsh bat < IE base *bhat-, to strike) & < OFr batte, pestle < battre, batter

transitive verb batted bat′·ted, batting bat′·ting

  1. to strike with or as with a bat
  2. to have a batting average of

intransitive verb

  1. to use a bat to bat left-handed
  2. to take a turn at batting to bat third in the lineup
bat Idioms

at bat

☆
Baseball taking a turn at batting

bat around

☆ Slang
  1. to travel or roam about
  2. to consider or discuss (an idea, plan, etc.) freely and informally
  3. Baseball to have all the batters in the lineup come to bat in a single inning

bat out

☆
Slang to create or compose quickly or hastily

go to bat for

☆
Informal to intervene on behalf of; defend

(right) off the bat

☆
Informal immediately
bat2 definition

bat (bat)

noun

any of an order (Chiroptera) of furry, nocturnal flying mammals having membranous wings and navigating by echolocation; chiropter: various bats feed on insects, nectar, fruit, flesh, or blood

Etymology: altered < ME bakke < Scand, as in OSwed backa

bat Idioms

blind as a bat

quite blind

have bats in the belfry

or have bats in one's belfry☆
Slang to be insane; have crazy notions
bat3 definition

bat (bat)

transitive verb batted bat′·ted, batting bat′·ting

Informal to wink; blink; flutter

Etymology: ME baten, to flap (wings) < OFr battre, batter

bat Idioms

not bat an eye

or not bat an eyelash☆
Informal not show surprise

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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