batter

¹ American  

[bat-er] / ˈbæt ər /

verb (used with object)

1. to beat persistently or hard; pound repeatedly.

   Synonyms:

   pelt, smite, belabor

2. to damage by beating or hard usage.

   Rough roads had battered the car. High winds were battering the coast.

   Synonyms:

   ruin, destroy, shiver, shatter, smash, wound, bruise

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verb (used without object)

1. to deal heavy, repeated blows; pound steadily.

   continuing to batter at the front door.

noun

1. Printing.

   1. a damaged area on the face of type or plate.

   2. the resulting defect in print.

batter ² American  

[bat-er] / ˈbæt ər /

noun

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

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verb (used with object)

1. to coat (an ingredient) with a mixture made from flour, milk, eggs, etc., especially as preparation for frying.

batter ³ American  

[bat-er] / ˈbæt ər /

noun

Sports.

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

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batter ⁴ American  

[bat-er] / ˈbæt ər /

verb (used without object)

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

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noun

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

batter ¹ British  

/ ˈbætə /

verb

1. to hit (someone or something) repeatedly using heavy blows, as with a club or other heavy instrument; beat heavily

2. (tr; often passive) to damage or injure, as by blows, heavy wear, etc

3. (tr) social welfare to subject (a person, esp a close relative living in the same house) to repeated physical violence

4. (tr) to subject (a person, opinion, or theory) to harsh criticism; attack

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batter ² British  

/ ˈbætə /

noun

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

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verb

1. (intr) to have such a slope

batter ³ British  

/ ˈbætə /

noun

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

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batter ⁴ British  

/ ˈbætə /

noun

1. sport a player who bats

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batter ⁵ British  

/ ˈbætə /

noun

1. a spree or debauch

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Etymology

Origin of batter¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English bateren, probably from Middle French, Old French batre “to beat,” with the French infinitive ending -re identified with -er ⁶; see bate ²

Origin of batter²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English bat(o)ur, bat(e)re, perhaps from Anglo-French bature, Old French bat(e)ure “act of beating,” equivalent to bat(re) “to beat” + -eure (from -ātūra assumed abstract noun suffix); reinforced by batter ¹; see origin at bate ², -ate ², -ure

Origin of batter³

First recorded in 1765–75; bat ¹ + -er ¹

Origin of batter⁴

First recorded in 1540–50; of obscure origin

Explanation

To batter is to beat repeatedly, as if one boxer were clobbering another with blows. Batter is one of those words with many meanings that seem entirely unrelated to each other. You can batter by hitting again and again, but there's also a batter in baseball — the guy who's holding a bat and waiting for the pitcher to throw the ball. Yet another meaning is the batter you mix up when you're making muffins, using eggs, flour, milk, and sugar. They all come from the same Latin root word, battuere, "to beat or strike."

Example Sentences

In six of the seven innings on Wednesday, Carson got the leadoff batter aboard, forcing Acuna to work extra hard while throwing 102 pitches.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

I follow Melissa Clark’s chocolate olive oil cake recipe, which has always produced a moist cake that’s slightly floral in flavor, courtesy of warm Earl Grey tea that’s whisked into the batter.

From Salon • May 10, 2026

England all-rounder Freya Kemp says she did not consider retirement or continuing her career solely as a batter during her recent injury woes.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

She made her first professional century last year and played a full season with Perth Scorchers last winter as a top-order batter.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

Instead, the batter made it all the way to third base!

From "The Missing Mitt (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #2)" by Franklin W. Dixon

Related Words

• bash
• beat
• bruise
• buffet
• clobber
• crush
• demolish
• destroy
• hurt
• injure
• lash
• mar
• pelt
• pummel
• punish
• ruin
• shatter
• smash
• wallop
• wreck