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

Under the baton of Conductor Laureate Christopher Warren-Green, the Charlotte Symphony will be joined by Sphinx Virtuosi, the chamber orchestra of the Sphinx Organization, a national non-profit organization based in Detroit. —Liz Rothaus Bertrand, Charlotte Observer, 11 Sep. 2025

Reuters reported that police used water cannons, batons, rubber bullets and tear gas against protesters. —Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025

The officers used batons and the butts of their rifles to strike the men in the face, neck, chest, and abdomen. —Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025

Video footage verified by CNN shows the moment an officer draws his baton amid a struggle with one demonstrator as other officers tussle with protesters on the ground. —Kara Fox, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 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