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
Rosenthal said the idea of passing on the baton at Tribeca had been in our mind for some time.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 31 Oct. 2025
While foreign investors lit the fuse on this year’s rally, domestic players have taken the baton forward.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025
He was accused of trying to remove an officer’s baton and resisting arrest.
—Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025
The baton that has passed from one hip-hop hit to another for more than three decades has been dropped.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for baton
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Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 31 Oct. 2025
While foreign investors lit the fuse on this year’s rally, domestic players have taken the baton forward.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025
He was accused of trying to remove an officer’s baton and resisting arrest.
—Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025
The baton that has passed from one hip-hop hit to another for more than three decades has been dropped.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for baton
Cite this Entry
“Baton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baton. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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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