battery

noun

bat·tery | \ ˈba-t(ə-)rē

plural batteries

Definition of battery

1a : the act of beating someone or something with successive blows : the act of battering (see batter entry 1 sense 1)

b law : an offensive touching or use of force on a person without the person's consent evidence that supports a charge of battery — compare assault entry 1 sense 2a

2 [ Middle French batterie, from battre to beat ] military

a : a grouping of artillery pieces for tactical (see tactical sense 1a(1)) purposes a battery of cannon from the Revolutionary War

b : the guns of a warship the starboard battery

3 military : an artillery (see artillery sense 2b) unit in the army equivalent to a company (see company entry 1 sense 2b)

4a : a combination of apparatus for producing a single electrical effect a battery of generators

b : a group of two or more cells (see cell sense 5) connected together to furnish electric current also : a single cell that furnishes electric current need to replace the flashlight's batteries

c batteries plural : level of energy or enthusiasm needs a vacation to recharge her batteries

5a(1) : a number of similar articles, items, or devices arranged, connected, or used together : set, series ran through a battery of tests a battery of filing cabinets

(2) : a series of cages or compartments for raising or fattening poultry —often used before another noun battery chickensbattery farming

b : a usually impressive or imposing group : array a battery of specialists

6 : the position of readiness of a gun for firing the gun would not return to battery — Infantry Journal

7 baseball : the pitcher and catcher of a team one of the greatest batteries in baseball history

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Examples of battery in a Sentence

I bought new batteries for the flashlights. The operation was performed by a battery of doctors.

Recent Examples on the Web

The swappable battery is perhaps the most game-changing feature. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, "Uber’s new Jump e-bikes are easier to charge and harder to vandalize," 18 Dec. 2018 Consider the battery of attorneys who worked so hard to exonerate O.J. Simpson. — James Atlas, Town & Country, "The Year of the Celebrity Super Lawyer," 3 Dec. 2018 The incident revealed a potential for the battery inside the camera to ignite. — Fox News, "NYPD pulls 3,000 body cams off street after one exploded," 22 Oct. 2018 And the metric Biogen and Eisai used to measure cognition is a homemade composite score, not the standard battery of tests used in most Alzheimer’s studies. — Damian Garde, STAT, "Biogen reports positive results with Alzheimer’s drug, reviving hopes for once-failed treatment," 5 July 2018 One area where teams compete intensely is in systems that recapture energy from braking and feed it back to the battery. — Jack Ewing, New York Times, "Racing Series Helps Show the Way to a Battery-Powered Future," 5 July 2018 Unlike traditional cigarettes, which burn tobacco, e-cigarettes use a battery to heat a liquid that is inhaled in an aerosol form. — Karen Kaplan, The Seattle Times, "Vaping among teens spikes, luring new generation of kids into tobacco use," 18 Dec. 2018 That includes the frame, motor and battery, which together carry a three-year warranty. — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "What's the Point of an Electric Mountain Bike?," 16 Dec. 2018 Of the 102 million drivers on the road, AAA expects to rescue more than 960,000 motorists during the holiday period due to dead batteries, lockouts, flat tires, and more. — Katherine Lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, "This Is the Worst Day to Travel Before Christmas," 13 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'battery.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near battery

Statistics for battery

Last Updated

14 Jan 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for battery

The first known use of battery was in 1531

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More Definitions for battery

battery

noun

English Language Learners Definition of battery

: a device that is placed inside a machine (such as a clock, toy, or car) to supply it with electricity

: a usually large group of similar people, things, or ideas that work together, are used together, etc.

: a group of two or more big guns used by the military

See the full definition for battery in the English Language Learners Dictionary

battery

noun

bat·tery | \ ˈba-tə-rē

plural batteries

Kids Definition of battery

1 : two or more big military guns that are controlled as a unit

2 : an electric cell or connected electric cells for providing electric current a flashlight battery

3 : a number of similar items or devices grouped together a battery of tests

4 : an unlawful touching or use of force on a person against his or her will

battery

noun

bat·tery | \ ˈbat-ə-rē, ˈba-trē

plural batteries

Medical Definition of battery

1a : a combination of apparatus for producing a single electrical effect

b : a group of two or more cells connected together to furnish electric current also : a single cell that furnishes electric current

2 : a group or series of tests especially : a group of intelligence or personality tests given to a subject as an aid in psychological analysis

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battery

noun

bat·tery | \ ˈba-tə-rē, -trē

Legal Definition of battery

: the crime or tort of intentionally or recklessly causing offensive physical contact or bodily harm (as by striking or by administering a poison or drug) that is not consented to by the victim — compare assault

— aggravated battery

: criminal battery that is accompanied by aggravating factors: as

a : criminal battery that causes or is intended to cause serious bodily injury especially through the use of a dangerous weapon

b : criminal battery committed on a protected person (as a minor or a police officer) — compare simple battery in this entry

Note: Aggravated battery is usually classified as a felony.

— sexual battery

: intentional and offensive sexual contact and especially sexual intercourse with a person who has not given or (as in the case of a child) is incapable of giving consent broadly : forced or coerced contact with the sexual parts of either the victim or the perpetrator — see also rape

Note: This is a broad definition of the offense. The specific elements of this crime vary from state to state, and some states use more narrow definitions.

— simple battery

: criminal battery that is not accompanied by aggravating factors (as a dangerous weapon) — compare aggravated battery in this entry

Note: Simple battery is usually classified as a misdemeanor.