batman

[ bat-muhn ]

/ ˈbæt mən /

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noun, plural bat·men.(in the British army)

a soldier assigned to an officer as a servant.

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Origin of batman

1745–55; short for bat-horse man, equivalent to bat<French bât packsaddle (<Vulgar Latin *bastum, noun derivative of *bastāre to carry <Late Greek *bastân, re-formation of Greek bastázein to lift, carry) + horse + man

Words nearby batman

Batinism, Batista, batiste, Batley, Batlle y Ordóñez, batman, bat mitzvah, Batna, baton, bâton de commandement, bat one thousand

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use batman in a sentence

I heard that at one point you were trying to put together a Batman musical on Broadway.
Tim Burton Talks ‘Big Eyes,’ His Taste For the Macabre, and the ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel|Marlow Stern|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With Batman and Planet of the Apes, you seem to be operating around 15 years ahead of the culture.
Tim Burton Talks ‘Big Eyes,’ His Taste For the Macabre, and the ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel|Marlow Stern|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Comic book heroes are even hotter—Spiderman and Batman probably earn more money nowadays than Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.
Can Tarzan of the Apes Survive in a Post-Colonial World?|Ted Gioia|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I grew up with the Burton/Keaton Batman films, but then you converted me.
Christopher Nolan Uncut: On ‘Interstellar,’ Ben Affleck’s Batman, and the Future of Mankind|Marlow Stern|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

When she joins Batman and Superman in the Justice Society of America, she does so as secretary.
Wonder Woman’s Creation Story Is Wilder Than You Could Ever Imagine|Tom Arnold-Forster|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So I told my batman to get hot water brought there in the mornings.
An Onlooker in France 1917-1919|William Orpen
He had been Colonel Crofton's batman during part of the war, and was evidently much attached to him.
What Timmy Did|Marie Adelaide Belloc Lowndes
Batman again started on foot to explore that river whose mouth lay there in front of him.
History of Australia and New Zealand|Alexander Sutherland
Trees were cut with notches, in order to fix the boundaries, and in the afternoon Batman took leave of his black friends.
History of Australia and New Zealand|Alexander Sutherland
Chaucer said he would be delighted, if we would send to his batman and tell him to bring down his razor and toothbrush.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 156, May 21, 1919.|Various

British Dictionary definitions for batman (1 of 3)

batman

/ (ˈbætmən) /

noun plural -men

an officer's personal servant in any of the armed forces

Word Origin for batman

C18: from Old French bat, bast, from Medieval Latin bastum packsaddle

British Dictionary definitions for batman (2 of 3)

Batman¹

/ (ˈbætˌmæn) /

noun

a character in an American comic strip and several films who secretly assumes a batlike costume in order to fight crime

British Dictionary definitions for batman (3 of 3)

Batman²

/ (ˈbætmən) /

noun

John . 1801–39, a pioneer who selected the site of the city of Melbourne

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

Cultural definitions for batman

Batman

A comic strip character that first appeared in 1939. With his faithful sidekick Robin (the Boy Wonder), Batman fights crime in Gotham City, foiling evil villains such as the Joker and the Riddler.

notes for Batman

Batman's adventures have been widely adapted for television and a number of motion pictures.