baton

noun

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ba·ton | \ bə-ˈtän

, ba- also ˈba-tᵊn \

plural batons

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

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

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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 on the Web Rioters set police cars ablaze, smashed businesses’ windows and skirmished with baton-wielding officers in streets from Atlanta to Los Angeles, as anger over Floyd’s death spread across the country. — Fox News, "Trump: US military 'ready, willing and able' to help Minneapolis if needed," 30 May 2020 Police drew their batons and formed a barrier near the police headquarters at Seventh Street and Broadway. — Sarah Ravani, SFChronicle.com, "Protests in Oakland over George Floyd killing, San Jose police deploy tear gas, rubber bullets," 29 May 2020 The few vendors who attempt to set up are chased off by baton-wielding soldiers. — The Economist, "Banyan Many of Asia’s Muslims are celebrating Ramadan in the normal way," 30 Apr. 2020 The third man, 20 -- another son of the oldest man -- also was in possession of a collapsible baton in a scabbard. — cleveland, "Officer stops three weapon-toting men walking to a store: Cleveland Heights Police Blotter," 10 Apr. 2020 Error 0: For Harrell, the appointment is something of a passing of the baton, with White having served as both colleague and mentor. — Yvette Orozco, Houston Chronicle, "Longtime Deer Park ISD administrator to be next superintendent," 18 Feb. 2020 At least one of the baton blows hit the teen in the face, an arrest affidavit said. — Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, "Body camera footage shows baton beating that prompted charges against Denver police sergeant," 9 Oct. 2019 For the combination of Muti’s baton, the sonic splendor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and a cast of vocal soloists showed that this ensemble remains a keenly sensitive, inherently virtuosic organization. — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "CSO review: Muti kicks off season’s end with sumptuous ‘Aida’," 22 June 2019 The Philadelphia Orchestra regularly brings its music directors to its summer homes in Vail and Saratoga Springs, but Mann audiences have gotten the short end of the baton for years. — Peter Dobrin, https://www.inquirer.com, "Classical summer: Bradley Cooper, Harry Potter, piano stars, Yannick debuts at a spiffed-up Mann Center," 5 June 2019

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.