baton

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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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

There were reports that police in Girona, Spain, used batons.

— vasco cotovio, CNN, "Catalan independence supporters see brighter future alone," 8 Oct. 2017
Markus Brunnermeier, an economics professor at Princeton University, has picked up the baton from Mr. Kindleberger, adding some mathematical rigor to the late MIT professor’s historical explorations.

— jon hilsenrath, WSJ, "What We Know About Financial Bubbles," 22 Sep. 2017
An argument ensued, and one person in the group of protesters used a baton to hit the rear window of the vehicle.

— eric levenson, CNN, "Police: 3 men made Nazi salutes, shot at protesters after Richard Spencer event," 20 Oct. 2017
That's when Seraphin took out his baton and used it, according to the police report.

— aimee green, OregonLive.com, "Safeway panhandler sues for $500k after security guard beats him," 16 Oct. 2017
The four officers had been zealous in their work, using their batons to break Rodney King's cheekbone and ankle and 11 bones at the base of his skull, damaging his facial nerves and knocking the fillings out of his teeth.

— joe domanick, Esquire, "The LAPD and the Shame of a Nation," 5 Aug. 2015
Then, after passing the baton to parliament to do it, the leadership melted away at the weekend, leaving supporters baffled.

— esteban duarte, Bloomberg.com, "Catalonia’s Independence Movement Unravels as Rajoy Prevails," 31 Oct. 2017
Stormer hit him in the leg with his baton and pepper sprayed him.

— gavin off and ames alexander, charlotteobserver, "It was the deadliest escape attempt in NC history: ‘Kill me,’ inmate told officer.," 25 Oct. 2017
Laird then asked Cruz to get his police baton and a pair of black boots, the warrant states.

— dave altimari, courant.com, "Judge Rescinds Protective Order in State Police Assault Case," 20 Oct. 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

See Words from the same year

baton Synonyms

Synonyms

bat, billy, billy club, bludgeon, cane, club, cudgel, nightstick, rod, shillelagh (also shillalah), staff, truncheon;

Related Words

blackjack, knobkerrie, mace;

birch, crabstick, hickory, rattan, stave, switch;

beetle, gavel, hammer, mallet, maul, sledgehammer;

crook, crosier (or crozier), walking stick;

Other Heraldry Terms

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

BATON Defined for English Language Learners

baton

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