batch

noun \ ˈbach \

Updated on: 13 May 2018

Definition of batch

1 : the quantity baked at one time : baking

2 a : the quantity of material prepared or required for one operation; specifically : a mixture of raw materials ready for fusion into glass

b : the quantity produced at one operation

c : a group of jobs (such as programs) that are submitted for processing on a computer and whose results are obtained at a later time

batch processing

— compare time-sharing

3 : a quantity (as of persons or things) considered as a group

See batch defined for English-language learners

See batch defined for kids

Examples of batch in a Sentence

We baked two batches of cookies.
a fresh batch of salsa
mixing another batch of cement
They're hiring another batch of workers.

Recent Examples of batch from the Web

When a batch tests positive, individual testing is done to find the tainted donation.

— Washington Post, "Study finds little bang for the buck in Zika blood testing," 9 May 2018
But by the end of the fermentation process, both batches featured communities that starred bacteria in two genera: lactobacillus and leuconostoc.

— marissa fessenden, Smithsonian, "Vegan Kimchi Is Microbially Pretty Close to the Original," 7 May 2018
When the fire alarm blared that day, Saripalli initially figured a culinary class had burned a batch of brownies.

— NBC News, "Parkland's seniors celebrate prom, but four are missing," 6 May 2018
More stories: Royal Oak’s transition to taller buildings is exactly what attracted a batch of city-savvy visitors this week.

— bill laitner, Detroit Free Press, "Royal Oak 'rethinks' downtown with city hall, parking, office tower plans," 4 May 2018
Boulevard will brew a full batch of Bou Lou this month.

— sarah gish, kansascity, "Tech N9ne's new beer with Boulevard Brewing draws inspiration from 'Caribou Lou' | The Kansas City Star," 4 May 2018
After the order is completed, software directs compressors and pumps to push chemical reagents into the rows of instruments, mixing the fluids and catalyzing the 100,000 reactions needed to create a single batch of kits.

— megan molteni, WIRED, "Biology Will Be the Next Great Computing Platform," 3 May 2018
Initial batches of the Model 3 have had fit and finish issues that include gapping in the panels and inconsistent paint quality.

— kirsten korosec, Fortune, "Tesla First-Quarter Earnings: What Investors Will Want To Watch For," 2 May 2018
The largest chunk in the budget is the $238.5 million that would be borrowed to seed a second batch of housing projects approved for Proposition HHH funding.

— doug smith, latimes.com, "L.A. budgets $430 million to help homeless, most of it long-term debt," 30 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'batch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of batch

Middle English bache; akin to Old English bacan to bake

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

batch Synonyms

Synonyms

array, band, battery, body, boodle, bunch, cluster, clutch, consort, constellation, crop, group, grouping, huddle, knot, lot, parcel, party, passel;

Near Antonyms

individual, single;

circle, clan, clique, coterie, fellowship, gang, ring, round, set;

faction, guild (also gild), order, school, sect;

brigade, crew, outfit, phalanx, platoon, posse, task force, team;

alliance, bloc, coalition, confederacy, confederation, federation, league, union;

battalion, squadron;

bevy, brood, covey;

Phrases

the whole kit and caboodle;

batch

verb

Definition of batch

transitive verb

: to bring together or process as a batch

—

batcher

noun

Recent Examples of batch from the Web

Another option is to write out the instructions on a chalk or dry erase board, or on a piece of paper in a picture frame, and to let your guests serve themselves from your pre-batched pitcher.

— emily spicer, San Antonio Express-News, "Mint julep meets a black Manhattan with delish results," 2 May 2018
NEW Barefoot Moscato Spritzer 2 oz. lemonade 1/4 oz. strawberry simple syrup Above ingredients can be batched or poured over ice.

— for kentucky derby festival, The Courier-Journal, "Make these classic Kentucky Derby Festival cocktails at home," 18 Apr. 2018
Each pull request—a group of changes batched together representing a new feature, a bug fix, or similar—is a request to merge some changes into the main branch, with those changes merged into the most recent version of the main branch.

— peter bright, Ars Technica, "Building Windows: 4 million commits, 10 million work items," 12 Mar. 2018
The cooks have learned ideal quantities to batch-cook items made from scratch, such as the meatloaf or the tortilla soup – a hospital favorite that some people even buy by the quart to take home (download the recipe here).

— Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Goodbye Tray Line, Hello Room Service," 10 Jan. 2018
Freeze a rainbow of fruit or edible flowers into ice cubes or a Bundt pan of ice for dramatic effect — this punch easily serves four to six people, but can batch up to accommodate more.

— joseph hernandez, chicagotribune.com, "Low-octane, make-ahead cocktails to keep Pride festive yet in control," 16 June 2017
A brief taplist features both craft beer and $2 pints of Olympia, plus a pair of potent draft cocktails batched up at sister restaurant Reverend's BBQ.

— samantha bakall, OregonLive.com, "Big's Chicken smokes up the sandwich of the summer: Scouting Report," 25 May 2017