bat

1 a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument a sharp bat with a rolled-up newspaper and that fly was a goner Synonyms bang, bash, blow, beat, belt, biff, bop, box, buffet, bust, chop, clap, clip, clout, crack, cuff, dab, douse [British], fillip, hack, haymaker, hit, hook, knock, larrup [dialect], lash, lick, pelt, pick, plump, poke, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slug, smack, smash, sock, spank, stinger, stripe, stroke, swat, swipe, switch, thud, thump, thwack, wallop, welt, whack, wham, whop (also whap)Related Words counter, counterblow, counterpunch, counterstroke; body blow, hand, kick, knee, left, one-two, rabbit punch, right, right-hander, roundhouse, shiver, sidewinder, sucker punch, swing, uppercut; cruncher, kayo, knockdown, knockout, KO; bastinado (or bastinade), battering, beating, bludgeoning, clobbering, cudgeling (or cudgelling), drubbing, hammering, lambasting, licking, pasting, pounding, pummeling (also pummelling), thrashing; flogging, walloping, whip, whipping

2 a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment riot policemen armed with bats and tear gas Synonyms bastinado (or bastinade), club, baton, billy, billy club, bludgeon, cane, cudgel, nightstick, rod, rung [Scottish], sap, shillelagh (also shillalah), staff, truncheon, waddy [Australian]Related Words blackjack, knobkerrie, mace; birch, crabstick, hickory, rattan, stave, switch; beetle, gavel, hammer, mallet, maul, sledgehammer; crook, crosier (or crozier), walking stick, whangee

1 to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner batted the lamp off the table with one strike Synonyms bang, bash, hit, belt, biff, bludgeon, bob, bonk, bop, box, bust, clap, clip, clobber, clock, clout, crack, hammer, knock, nail, paste, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slog, slug, smack, smite, sock, strike, swat, swipe, tag, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale, zapRelated Words batter, beat, buffet, bung, chop, cuff, drub, lace, lambaste (or lambast), lick, mangle, maul, pelt, pepper, pommel, pummel, rough; scuff; bunt, flick, stroke, tap; bump, butt, jab, jostle, kick, knee, poke, prod, push, shove, stamp; bowl (down or over), cream, deck, dump [slang], fell, floor, knock down, level; rabbit-punch, sucker punch; cane, club, cudgel, flail, flog, lash, sap, slash, sledge, sledgehammer, spear, stab, switch, thrash, whip; bean, brain, conk, skull

2 to strike repeatedly batted the piñata until it finally broke open Synonyms bash, baste, beat, batter, belabor, belt, birch, bludgeon, buffet, bung up, club, curry, do, drub, fib [British], flog, hammer, hide, lace, lambaste (or lambast), lash, lather, lick, maul, mess (up), paddle, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, punch out, rough (up), slate, slog, switch, tan, thrash, thresh, thump, tromp, wallop, whale, whip, whop (or whap), whup, work overRelated Words assail, assault, attack, beset, box, bust, chop, clobber, clout, crack, cudgel, cuff, descend (on or upon), hit, jump (on), knock, lam, lay on, paste, pounce (on or upon), punch, raid, rush, slam, slap, smack, smash, sock, spank, storm, swat, swipe, thwack, whack, wham, whomp; blackjack, cane, cowhide, flagellate, fustigate, horsewhip, leather, pistol-whip, rawhide, scourge, strap; gore, lacerate, wound; maim, mangle, mutilate

3 to move about from place to place aimlessly on Sunday afternoons we'd pile into Father's car and bat around the countryside Synonyms wander, cruise, drift, float, gad (about), gallivant (also galavant), kick around, knock (about), maunder, meander, mooch, ramble, range, roam, rove, traipseRelated Words amble, saunter, stroll; dawdle, mope; gypsy, hobo, tramp, vagabond; mill (about or around); straggle, stray