baton

play

noun ba·ton \ bə-ˈtän , ba- also ˈba-tᵊn \

Definition of baton

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

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See baton defined for kids

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 of baton from the Web

Metro officers acted as escorts for the group of protesters during a march down Broadway but soon transitioned to wielding batons to make a human barrier directing protesters to get on the sidewalk.

— thomas novelly, The Courier-Journal, "LMPD investigates officers' actions at Black Lives Matter rally downtown," 30 Aug. 2017
Video showed men in black suits viciously beating protesters as police used batons to drive off the attackers, and Erdogan looked on.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "Erdogan’s Guards Indicted for Attacking Protesters During D.C. Visit," 29 Aug. 2017
Cups and chalices (modern hearts) might have stood for the clergy; swords (spades) for the nobility or the military; coins (diamonds) for the merchants; and batons (clubs) for peasants.

— adrienne bernhard, The Atlantic, "The Lost Origins of Playing-Card Symbols," 24 Aug. 2017
Chapman was captured on video swinging a baton at counter demonstrators protesting a Berkeley, California rally in support of President Donald Trump earlier this year.

— Washington Post, "Parks Service issues permit for San Francisco rally," 23 Aug. 2017
Other notables include a Patek Philippe from the early 1960s with a white gold case, an original unpolished silver dial, and long, slim baton numerals.

— zachary prell, Town & Country, "Zachary Prell on His Love Affair with Luxury Watches," 17 Aug. 2017
Richard Wiley, 66, was jailed on suspicion of felony possession of a baton and burglary tools on July 21 in Encanto.

— pauline repard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "No charges to be filed in case criticized as racial profiling," 28 July 2017
Insiders say the baton pass from longtime publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. to his 36-year-old son, A.G. Sulzberger, is beginning to feel imminent.

— vanityfair.com, "The Agony and the Anxiety of The New York Times," 24 July 2017
Insiders say the baton pass from longtime publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. to his 36-year-old son, A.G. Sulzberger, is beginning to feel imminent.

— joe pompeo, The Hive, "The Agony and the Anxiety of The New York Times," 24 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of baton

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1520

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baton Synonyms

Synonyms

bastinado (or bastinade), bat, club, billy, billy club, bludgeon, cane, cudgel, nightstick, rod, rung [Scottish], sap, shillelagh (also shillalah), staff, truncheon, waddy [Australian]

Related Words

blackjack, knobkerrie, mace; birch, crabstick, hickory, rattan, stave, switch; beetle, gavel, hammer, mallet, maul, sledgehammer; crook, crosier (or crozier), walking stick, whangee

Other Heraldry Terms

blazon, cachet, couchant, dormant, escutcheon, potent, standard, totem

BATON Defined for English Language Learners

baton

play

noun

Definition of baton for English Language Learners

: a thin stick that is used by a music conductor to lead a band or orchestra
: a long thin stick with a ball at one end or both ends that is carried by someone who performs with or leads a marching band
: a stick that is passed from one runner to the next runner in a relay race