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definitions

batter

1
[ bat-er ]
/ ˈbæt ər /
||
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verb (used with object)

to beat persistently or hard; pound repeatedly.
to damage by beating or hard usage: Rough roads had battered the car. High winds were battering the coast.

verb (used without object)

to deal heavy, repeated blows; pound steadily: continuing to batter at the front door.

noun

Printing.
  1. a damaged area on the face of type or plate.
  2. the resulting defect in print.

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RELATED WORDS

dough, clobber, mar, demolish, pummel, wreck, beat, shatter, ruin, injure, bruise, cripple, hurt, crush, wallop, buffet, smash, pelt, lash, destroy

Nearby words

  1. batten plate,
  2. batten's disease,
  3. batten-mayou disease,
  4. battenberg,
  5. battenburg,
  6. batter board,
  7. batter brace,
  8. batter bread,
  9. batter pile,
  10. batter's box

Origin of batter

1
1300–50; Middle English bateren, probably < Middle French, Old French batre to beat (see bate2), with the infinitive ending identified with -er6; compare Anglo-French baterer

batter

2
[ bat-er ]
/ ˈbæt ər /

noun

a mixture of flour, milk or water, eggs, etc., beaten together for use in cookery.

verb (used with object)

to coat with batter.

Origin of batter

2
1350–1400; Middle English bat(o)ur, bat(e)re, perhaps < Anglo-French bature, Old French bat(e)ure act of beating (bat(re) to beat (see bate2) + -eure < *-ātūra; see -ate2, -ure), reinforced by batter1

batter

3
[ bat-er ]
/ ˈbæt ər /

noun

a player who swings a bat or whose turn it is to bat, as in baseball or cricket.

Origin of batter

3
First recorded in 1765–75; bat1 + -er1

batter

4
[ bat-er ]
/ ˈbæt ər /
Architecture

verb (used without object)

(of the face of a wall or the like) to slope backward and upward.

noun

a backward and upward slope of the face of a wall or the like.

Origin of batter

4
First recorded in 1540–50; of obscure origin
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for batter

British Dictionary definitions for batter

batter

1
/ (ˈbætə) /

verb

to hit (someone or something) repeatedly using heavy blows, as with a club or other heavy instrument; beat heavily
(tr; often passive) to damage or injure, as by blows, heavy wear, etc
(tr) social welfare to subject (a person, esp a close relative living in the same house) to repeated physical violence
(tr) to subject (a person, opinion, or theory) to harsh criticism; attack

Word Origin for batter

C14 bateren, probably from batten to bat 1

noun

a mixture of flour, eggs, and milk, used to make cakes, pancakes, etc, and to coat certain foods before frying

Word Origin for batter

C15 bater, probably from bateren to batter 1

noun

sport a player who bats

noun

the slope of the face of a wall that recedes gradually backwards and upwards

verb

(intr) to have such a slope

Word Origin for batter

C16 (vb: to incline): of uncertain origin

noun

a spree or debauch

Word Origin for batter

C19: of unknown origin
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
Word Origin and History for batter
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper