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
Federal officers wielded batons and deployed flash-bang devices against the crowd.
—Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Agents pushed back demonstrators with a barrage of stinger ball grenades, pepper balls, tear gas and baton rounds.
—Robert Costa, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026
No one wants to be stuck behind the 8-ball, no one wants to take the relay baton in last place.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 16 Jan. 2026
The Deluxe Edition comes in a clamshell case with a CD, a conductor’s baton, a stand-alone reproduction of a Martin score, and a Blu-Ray disc with documentary footage of the re-recording sessions at Abbey Road.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for baton
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Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Agents pushed back demonstrators with a barrage of stinger ball grenades, pepper balls, tear gas and baton rounds.
—Robert Costa, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026
No one wants to be stuck behind the 8-ball, no one wants to take the relay baton in last place.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 16 Jan. 2026
The Deluxe Edition comes in a clamshell case with a CD, a conductor’s baton, a stand-alone reproduction of a Martin score, and a Blu-Ray disc with documentary footage of the re-recording sessions at Abbey Road.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for baton
Cite this Entry
“Baton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baton. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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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