baton

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

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Examples: baton in a Sentence

Definition of baton

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

See baton defined for English-language learners

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

West and Bartlett were neck-and-neck when Wyche took the baton and quickly pulled away to give the Eagles a four-second victory over the Golden Bears.

— beth bragg, Anchorage Daily News, "At CIC track championships, the action was hot even if the weather wasn’t," 20 May 2018
The conductor will tap his baton and all hell will break loose.

— ben marcus, The New Yorker, "Stay Down and Take It," 19 May 2018
King stopped the victim near the door and hit the victim with his baton seven times, breaking two bones in the victim’s right leg.

— steve burns, ajc, "Ex-Atlanta cop gets 5 years for beating Walmart customer over ‘stolen’ tomato," 7 May 2018
Baton and Podium Tools of the maestro include one of his batons that was gifted to conductor Gustavo Dudamel, who subsequently broke it during a performance.

— jordan riefe, The Hollywood Reporter, "Skirball Cultural Center Celebrates 'Leonard Bernstein at 100'," 27 Apr. 2018
In Barcelona, riot police shoved and struck protesters with batons to keep an angry crowd from advancing on the office of the Spanish government’s representative.

— joseph wilson and kirsten grieshaber, USA TODAY, "Catalan ex-leader’s capture in Germany sparks mass protests," 25 Mar. 2018
The encounter outside the student’s off-campus apartment, in which Carter alleged that Redus temporarily gained control of his baton, ended with Carter shooting Redus five times, including once in the back.

— lauren caruba, San Antonio Express-News, "Appeals court mulls UIW immunity claim in student’s death," 1 Feb. 2018
Just stared straight ahead, passionately waving his baton and directing his band.

— josh katzenstein, NOLA.com, "Delvin Breaux says he's cleared to return to all activities: Instagram," 17 Jan. 2018
Each new entry passes the baton forward, introducing new characters or moving the wider plot along.

— david sims, The Atlantic, "With Solo, Has Star Wars Fatigue Set In?," 29 May 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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