baton

noun

ba·​ton bə-ˈtän 

ba-,

also

ˈba-tᵊn 

plural batons

1

: cudgel, truncheon

specifically : billy club

2

: a staff borne as a symbol of office

3

: a narrow heraldic bend

4

: a slender rod with which a leader directs a band or orchestra

5

: a hollow cylinder carried by each member of a relay team and passed to the succeeding runner

6

: a hollow metal rod with a weighted bulb at one or both ends that is flourished by a drum major or drum majorette

7

: a piece of food that has been cut into a narrow strip that is thicker than a julienned piece of food

We cut carrots into slabs, then batons, then dice.

—Janet Rausa Fuller

Synonyms

• cane

Examples of baton in a Sentence

The majorette twirled the baton.

the detainee claimed that the police had beat him with their batons even after he had been shackled

Recent Examples on the Web

Then, sometime after midnight on July 18, guards began banging their batons on the bars of the men’s cells. —Perla Trevizo, ProPublica, 30 July 2025

The baton has officially been passed on to 30-year-old Andrew Kuski, who became the new Dealer Principal of the storied dealership in April 2025, ushering in a bold new era for the Chapman Chevrolet Buick GMC legacy. —Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 29 July 2025

Also, almost every character in this movie gets to have the baton passed to them from an original cast member. —Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 July 2025

Riot police arrived, aggressively attempting to stop looters with batons. —Beth Sobol, People.com, 8 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

French bâton, from Old French baston, ultimately from Late Latin bastum stick

First Known Use

1520, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing baton

• passed the baton

Rhymes for baton

• anton
• argon
• axon
• baronne
• baryon
• boron
• buisson
• bygone
• capon
• cardon
• chiffon
• coupon

Kids Definition

baton

noun

ba·​ton bə-ˈtän 

ba-

1

: a staff borne as a symbol of office

2

: a stick with which a leader directs a band or orchestra

3

: a hollow rod passed from one member of a relay team to another

4

: a staff with a ball at one or both ends carried by a drum major or baton twirler