battery

[ bat-uh-ree ]

See synonyms for battery on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural bat·ter·ies.

Also called galvanic battery, voltaic battery. Electricity. a combination of two or more cells electrically connected to work together to produce electric energy. : See also cell (def. 7a).
any large group or series of related things: a battery of questions.

Military.
- two or more pieces of artillery used for combined action.
- a tactical unit of artillery, usually consisting of six guns together with the artillerymen, equipment, etc., required to operate them.
- a parapet or fortification equipped with artillery.
a group or series of similar articles, machines, parts, etc.
Baseball. the pitcher and catcher considered as a unit.
Navy.
- (on a warship) a group of guns having the same caliber or used for the same purpose.
- the whole armament of a warship.
Psychology. a series of tests yielding a single total score, used for measuring aptitude, intelligence, personality, etc.
the act of beating or battering.
Law. an unlawful attack upon another person by beating or wounding, or by touching in an offensive manner.
an instrument used in battering.
Also batterie. Music. the instruments comprising the percussion section of an orchestra.
any imposing group of persons or things acting or directed in unison: a battery of experts.

Origin of battery

First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French batterie, equivalent to batt(re) “to beat” + -erie noun suffix; see bate², -ery

Words that may be confused with battery

assault, battery

Words Nearby battery

Other definitions for Battery (2 of 2)

Battery

[ bat-uh-ree ]

noun

The Battery, a park at the south end of Manhattan, in New York City.

Also called Battery Park .

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use battery in a sentence

Demand was low, driving range was limited and battery degradation was a concern.
Of all used cars, this Tesla model sells the fastest | Verne Kopytoff | August 24, 2020 | Fortune
After our success recycling metals from discarded computers, scientists are trying other types of e-waste, including electric batteries.
We’re Using Microbes to Clean Up Toxic Electronic Waste. Here’s How | Sebastien Farnaud | August 20, 2020 | Singularity Hub
His team at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles turned to methanol because in a given mass, it packs over 10 times the energy as tiny batteries.
Methanol fuel gives this tiny beetle bot the freedom to roam | Carmen Drahl | August 19, 2020 | Science News
While lithium ion battery technology has seen dramatic price drops in recent years, most experts agree that they will remain too expensive for grid-scale storage.
Scientists Found a Way to Turn Bricks Into Batteries | Edd Gent | August 17, 2020 | Singularity Hub
Note how much quieter Spot is thanks to an onboard battery and electric motor.
The Robot Revolution Was Televised: Our All-Time Favorite Boston Dynamics Robot Videos | Jason Dorrier | July 19, 2020 | Singularity Hub

Two weeks before trial, Beebe pleaded guilty to a single charge of aggravated sexual battery.
I Was Gang Raped at a UVA Frat 30 Years Ago, and No One Did Anything | Liz Seccuro | December 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Karajah was charged with two felony counts of assault and battery.
The Ten Worst Uber Horror Stories | Olivia Nuzzi | November 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Among them were some horrifying images of severe damage to nasal tissue caused by a child lodging a button battery in her nose.
Kids Eat the Darndest Things: Laundry Pods, Teething Necklaces, and More Of The Weirdest Stuff Sending Kids to the E.R. | Russell Saunders | November 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
His charges include pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, rape, and sexual battery.
Ohio Elementary School Teacher Charged With Raping Her Son | Nina Strochlic | November 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
And a small battery hidden in the structure can store power, which can be used to keep highly efficient LEG bulbs lit at night.
Parks and Regeneration | The Daily Beast | November 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The case was an assault and battery that came off between two men named Brown and Henderson.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | Various
Pat Malone, you are fined five dollars for assault and battery on Mike Sweeney.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | Various
To-day I have stood in the main battery which has fired a shot establishing, in its way, a record in the annals of destruction.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian Hamilton
Tombs had two horses shot under him, and thirteen out of fifty men in his battery were killed or wounded.
The Red Year | Louis Tracy
An English battery came thundering down the road to take up a fresh position and assist in covering the retreat.
The Red Year | Louis Tracy

British Dictionary definitions for battery

battery

/ (ˈbætərɪ) /

nounplural -teries

- two or more primary cells connected together, usually in series, to provide a source of electric current
- short for dry battery
another name for accumulator (def. 1)

a number of similar things occurring together: a battery of questions
criminal law unlawful beating or wounding of a person or mere touching in a hostile or offensive manner: See also assault and battery
a fortified structure on which artillery is mounted
a group of guns, missile launchers, searchlights, or torpedo tubes of similar type or size operated as a single entity
a small tactical unit of artillery usually consisting of two or more troops, each of two, three or four guns
mainly British
- a large group of cages for intensive rearing of poultry
- (as modifier): battery hens
psychol a series of tests
chess two pieces of the same colour placed so that one can unmask an attack by the other by moving
the percussion section in an orchestra
baseball the pitcher and the catcher considered together

Origin of battery

C16: from Old French batterie beating, from battre to beat, from Latin battuere

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

Scientific definitions for battery

battery

[ băt′ə-rē ]

A device containing an electric cell or a series of electric cells storing energy that can be converted into electrical power (usually in the form of direct current). Common household batteries, such as those used in a flashlight, are usually made of dry cells (the chemicals producing the current are made into a paste). In other batteries, such as car batteries, these chemicals are in liquid form.

a closer look

A battery stores chemical energy, which it converts to electrical energy. A typical battery, such as a car battery, is composed of an arrangement of galvanic cells. Each cell contains two metal electrodes, separate from each other, immersed within an electrolyte containing both positive and negative ions. A chemical reaction between the electrodes and the electrolyte, similar to that found in electroplating, takes place, and the metals dissolve in the electrolyte, leaving electrons behind on the electrodes. However, the metals dissolve at different rates, so a greater number of electrons accumulate at one electrode (creating the negative electrode) than at the other electrode (which becomes the positive electrode). This gives rise to an electric potential between the electrodes, which are typically linked together in series and parallel to one another in order to provide the desired voltage at the battery terminals (12 volts, for example, for a car battery). The buildup of charge on the electrodes prevents the metals from dissolving further, but if the battery is hooked up to an electric circuit through which current may flow, electrons are drawn out of the negative electrodes and into the positive ones, reducing their charge and allowing further chemical reactions.

Cultural definitions for battery

battery

A device that produces an electric current (see also current) by harnessing the chemical reactions that take place within its cells.

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