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
Janet Rausa FullerExamples 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
The Marsies who resist arrest are doing so without batons, skull-protecting helmets, and guns containing, technically, nonlethal rounds.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
The complaint stated that officers unleashed a torrent of pepper spray, tear gas grenades, rubber bullets and baton strikes, despite the women posing no threat and complying with officers’ orders.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
As the crowd approached a line of officers from various agencies, including the Caldwell Police Department, people became more agitated, and officers began to ask people to back up, with one of them pushing Hardy back with his baton, video footage showed.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 23 Apr. 2026
As conventional growth drivers such as roads, renewable power and real estate pass the baton to new age infrastructure like data centers and battery manufacturing.
—Menaka Doshi, Bloomberg, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for baton
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Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
The complaint stated that officers unleashed a torrent of pepper spray, tear gas grenades, rubber bullets and baton strikes, despite the women posing no threat and complying with officers’ orders.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
As the crowd approached a line of officers from various agencies, including the Caldwell Police Department, people became more agitated, and officers began to ask people to back up, with one of them pushing Hardy back with his baton, video footage showed.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 23 Apr. 2026
As conventional growth drivers such as roads, renewable power and real estate pass the baton to new age infrastructure like data centers and battery manufacturing.
—Menaka Doshi, Bloomberg, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for baton
Cite this Entry
“Baton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baton. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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