baton

American  

[buh-ton, ba-, bat-n] / bəˈtɒn, bæ-, ˈbæt n /

noun

1. Music. a wand used by a conductor.

2. a rod of lightweight metal fitted with a weighted bulb at each end and carried and twirled by a drum major or majorette.

3. Track. a hollow rod of wood, paper, or plastic that is passed during a race from one member of a relay team to the next in a prescribed area.

4. a staff, club, or truncheon, especially one serving as a mark of office or authority.

   Synonyms:

   caduceus, fasces, wand, rod, crosier, scepter, mace

5. Heraldry.

   1. a diminutive of the bend sinister, couped at the extremities: used in England as a mark of bastardy.

   2. a similar diminutive of the ordinary bend.

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baton British  

/ -tɒn, ˈbætən /

noun

1. a thin stick used by the conductor of an orchestra, choir, etc, to indicate rhythm or expression

2. 1. a short stick carried for use as a weapon, as by a policeman; truncheon

   2. ( as modifier )

      a baton charge

3. athletics a short bar carried by a competitor in a relay race and transferred to the next runner at the end of each stage

4. a long stick with a knob on one end, carried, twirled, and thrown up and down by a drum major or drum majorette, esp at the head of a parade

5. a staff or club carried by an official as a symbol of authority

6. heraldry a single narrow diagonal line superimposed on all other charges, esp one curtailed at each end, signifying a bastard line

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baton Cultural  

1. A stick used by some conductors of choruses or orchestras. The baton is traditionally used to indicate the tempo of the music.

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Etymology

Origin of baton

1540–50; < Middle French bâton, Old French baston < Vulgar Latin *bastōn- (stem of *bastō ) stick, club; compare Late Latin bastum staff

Explanation

A baton is the small stick or rod, like the one that an orchestra conductor uses to direct musicians. A conductor's baton is often made of lightweight wood. There are several types of batons, all of them some kind of stick or club. A relay runner carries and passes a metal or wooden baton to the next runner, and a baton twirler in a parade spins and throws a long, metal baton in the air as she marches. Police officers carry batons as well, heavy sticks that can be used as weapons. This is the original meaning of baton, from the Latin bastum, "stout staff."

Example Sentences

But it is a fresh sight in governor’s races, after Gov. Jerry Brown served eight years and then seamlessly handed the baton to Newsom for another eight.

From Slate • Apr. 7, 2026

My daughter and my daughter-in-law now give blood and it's great to know I'm passing on the blood donation baton, just like my mum before me.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

At one point, I thought it would be cool to do like a pageantry baton spinning dance.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

“The baton has been passed from print to the traditional web, and now from the traditional web to social,” BuzzFeed founder and CEO Jonah Peretti said at the time.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

The conductor lifts his baton, and I'm invigorated hearing the familiar passages: the drone of the double bass as the heartrending introduction begins, the strings peeling away layers like birch bark.

From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper

Related Words

• cudgel
• mace
• nightstick
• rod
• truncheon
• wand