bat

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈbat 

1

: a stout solid stick : club

2

: a sharp blow : stroke

3

a

: a usually wooden implement used for hitting the ball in various games

b

: a paddle used in various games (such as table tennis)

c

: the short whip used by a jockey

4

a

: batsman, batter

a right-handed bat

b

: a turn at batting

—usually used in the phrase at bat

c

: hitting ability

we need his bat in the lineup

5

: batt

6

British : rate of speed : gait

7

: a drinking spree : binge

bat

2 of 5

verb (1)

batted; batting

transitive verb

1

: to strike or hit with or as if with a bat

2

a

: to advance (a base runner) by batting

b

: to have a batting average of

3

: to discuss at length : consider in detail

intransitive verb

1

a

: to strike or hit a ball with a bat

b

: to take one's turn at bat

2

: to wander aimlessly

bat

3 of 5

noun (2)

plural bats

: any of a widely distributed order (Chiroptera) of nocturnal usually frugivorous or insectivorous flying mammals that have wings formed from four elongated digits of the forelimb covered by a cutaneous membrane and that have adequate visual capabilities but often rely on echolocation

see also bats in the belfry

bat

4 of 5

verb (2)

batted; batting

transitive verb

: to wink especially in surprise or emotion

never batted an eye

also : flutter

batted his eyelashes

BAT

5 of 5

abbreviation

bachelor of arts in teaching

Phrases

off one's own bat

chiefly British : through one's own efforts

off the bat

: without delay : immediately

recognized him right off the bat

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• blow
• thump
• hit
• knock
• punch
• swipe
• slap
• whack
• thud
• stroke
• smack
• pound
• poke
• lick
• bang
• spank
• slam
• beat
• hook
• clip

Verb (1)

• knock
• hit
• smack
• punch
• slap
• bang
• strike
• slam
• whack
• clap
• clip
• swipe
• pound
• crack

Examples of bat in a Sentence

Noun (1)

a sharp bat with a rolled-up newspaper and that fly was a goner

riot policemen armed with bats and tear gas

Verb (1)

batted the lamp off the table with one strike

batted the piñata until it finally broke open

on Sunday afternoons we'd pile into Father's car and bat around the countryside

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Murphy, 30, could punch up a catching group that’s 29th in slugging percentage, batting average and weighted runs created and 30th in on-base percentage. —Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 July 2025

Williams led Florida State with 19 homers this past season while batting .321 for 53 RBI. —Cameron Priester, Sun Sentinel, 13 July 2025

Noun

Using a multicolored bat and down to his last out, Caminero took three pitches and hit a liner to left. —Ronald Blum, Baltimore Sun, 15 July 2025

The club also has offensive needs and could look to find a few intriguing bats later in the draft. —Kansas City Star, 14 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English batt

Noun (2)

probably alteration of Middle English bakke, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Swedish nattbakka bat

Verb (2)

probably alteration of bate entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1580, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

circa 1787, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bat

• (as) blind as a bat
• at bat
• bat around
• bat a thousand
• bat-eared fox
• bat girl
• bat in
• bat mitzvah
• bat out
• bat ray
• big brown bat
• free-tailed bat
• fruit bat
• fungo bat
• go to bat
• go to bat for
• like a bat out of hell
• little brown bat
• not bat an eye/eyelash
• not bat an eyelid
• vampire bat

Rhymes for bat

• at
• batt
• brat
• cat
• chat
• fat
• flat
• gat
• gnat
• hat
• kat
• mat

Kids Definition

bat

1 of 4 noun

ˈbat 

1

: a stout solid stick : club

2

: a sharp blow

3

: a usually wooden implement used for hitting the ball in various games (as baseball)

4

: a turn at batting

next at bat

bat

2 of 4 verb

batted; batting

1

: to strike or hit with or as if with a bat

2

: to take one's turn at bat in baseball

3

: to have a batting average of

is batting .300

bat

3 of 4 noun

: any of an order of night-flying mammals with the forelimbs modified to form wings

bat

4 of 4 verb

batted; batting

: to wink especially in surprise or emotion

never batted an eye

Etymology

Noun

Old English batt "club"

Noun

from Middle English bakke "flying bat"; probably of Scandinavian origin

Verb

probably an altered form of earlier bate "to beat the wings in an impatient manner"

Medical Definition

bat

noun

ˈbat 

: any of an order (Chiroptera) of nocturnal placental flying mammals with forelimbs modified to form wings