Bates

American

[beyts] / beɪts /

noun

Katherine Lee, 1859–1929, U.S. educator and author.

Bates British

/ beɪts /

noun

Sir Alan ( Arthur ). 1934–2003, British film and stage actor. His films include A Kind of Loving (1962), Women in Love (1969), The Go-Between (1971), and The Cherry Orchard (1999)
H ( erbert ) E ( rnest ). 1905–74, English writer of short stories and novels, which include The Darling Buds of May (1958), A Moment in Time (1964), and The Triple Echo (1970)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Likewise James Clyde, who gets every laugh he can out of Horace’s valet, Bates, whom Eric Blore made such a consternated, rubber-faced classic.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

“Archie Bates . . . I truly hope that you end up happy,” Katie says confidently.

From Salon • May 11, 2026

"When I look back on the past 20-plus years, I can't quite believe how quickly the time has gone," said Bates, who also won the 2024 T20 World Cup.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

“It will certainly help, and there are a lot of us who are really excited to go catch fish again,” Bates said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

Other officers now spurned their black oxfords for more casual boots, especially the lightweight Bates and Hi-Tec brands, which were popular among police.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023