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 FullerSynonyms
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
Ryan takes the baton As for Ryan, the CSO’s 12th maestro addressed a group of community leaders and philanthropists Tuesday night at a gathering at Bank of America headquarters in uptown.
—Adam Bell, Charlotte Observer, 3 Apr. 2024
The defense and grit is DNA deep in the program and a given as the baton is passed.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2024
This particular Day-Date features a 36 mm case in 18-carat yellow gold, a chic champagne dial with baton markers, an elegant fluted bezel, and the iconic President bracelet.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 16 Mar. 2024
Savy grabbed her baton with a short lead and took off running with Parker close behind.
—Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024
In the film, Robbie plays figure skater Tanya Harding, who found herself at the center of a massive scandal after someone attacked her biggest competition, Nancy Kerrigan, with a police baton weeks before the 1994 Olympics.
—Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024
Such weapons have been poorly defined in state law but broadly construed in the past to include the sort of swinging batons once popular among police, as well as other wooden clubs, bats and batons.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024
Stylish apartment blocks, clad in brick, wooden batons and bronze metals, line wide avenues of contemporary cobblestones.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 26 Mar. 2024
Daltrey is passing his curatorial baton after this year’s series, which features Robert Plant, the Chemical Brothers, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Squeeze, among others.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 21 Mar. 2024
Adam Bell, Charlotte Observer, 3 Apr. 2024
The defense and grit is DNA deep in the program and a given as the baton is passed.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2024
This particular Day-Date features a 36 mm case in 18-carat yellow gold, a chic champagne dial with baton markers, an elegant fluted bezel, and the iconic President bracelet.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 16 Mar. 2024
Savy grabbed her baton with a short lead and took off running with Parker close behind.
—Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024
In the film, Robbie plays figure skater Tanya Harding, who found herself at the center of a massive scandal after someone attacked her biggest competition, Nancy Kerrigan, with a police baton weeks before the 1994 Olympics.
—Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024
Such weapons have been poorly defined in state law but broadly construed in the past to include the sort of swinging batons once popular among police, as well as other wooden clubs, bats and batons.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024
Stylish apartment blocks, clad in brick, wooden batons and bronze metals, line wide avenues of contemporary cobblestones.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 26 Mar. 2024
Daltrey is passing his curatorial baton after this year’s series, which features Robert Plant, the Chemical Brothers, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Squeeze, among others.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 21 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'baton.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near baton
Cite this Entry
“Baton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baton. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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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