battels

British

/ ˈbætəlz /

plural noun

(at some universities) the account of a member of a college for board, provisions, and other college expenses

"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

Etymology

Origin of battels

C16: perhaps from obsolete battle to feed, fatten, of uncertain origin

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.

College Battel.—What is the derivation of a word peculiar to the universities, battels: is it connected with batten?

From Notes and Queries, Number 232, April 8, 1854 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc by Various

Hunter apparently left Oxford after less than two months’ residence, as the last entry in the buttery book with charges for battels against his name is on July 25, 1755.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 8 "Hudson River" to "Hurstmonceaux" by Various

Certicus being then furnished with a conuenient armie, diuided the same into two battels, reseruing the one to himselfe, and the other he appointed to his sonne Kenrike.

From Chronicles 1 (of 6): The Historie of England 5 (of 8) The Fift Booke of the Historie of England. by Holinshed, Raphael

There are no gates, no porter's lodges, no butteries, no halls, no battels, and no common rooms.

From North America — Volume 1 by Trollope, Anthony

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