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

Example Sentences

Until the U.S. picks up the ban baton, don’t expect profits to take much of a hit.

From Barron's • Mar. 22, 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

It was a massive passing of the baton because she owned her.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

Colabianchi, the theater’s superintendent, said he hopes Venezi can meet the orchestra and patch up their differences before she takes up her baton in the fall.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

She was learning how to twirl a baton.

From "Raymie Nightingale" by Kate DiCamillo

Related Words

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