battue

American  

[ba-too, -tyoo, ba-ty] / bæˈtu, -ˈtju, baˈtü /

noun

Chiefly British.

• battues
  plural

1. Hunting.

   1. the beating or driving of game from cover toward a stationary hunter.

   2. a hunt or hunting party using this method of securing game.

2. undiscriminating slaughter of defenseless or unresisting crowds.

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battue British  

/ baty, -ˈtjuː, bæˈtuː /

noun

1. the beating of woodland or cover to force game to flee in the direction of hunters

2. 1. an organized shooting party using this method

   2. the game disturbed or shot by this method

3. indiscriminate slaughter, as of a defenceless crowd

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• battues
  plural

Etymology

Origin of battue

1810–20; < French, noun use of feminine of battu, past participle of battre < Latin battuere to beat. See battuta, battle ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

battue battues

As the only Grand Slam contested on clay — in this case, the so-called terre battue, which is essentially crushed brick — the French Open stands apart from Wimbledon and the Australian and U.S.

From Washington Post ● May 15, 2020

In winning the French Open 11 of the last 14 years, Rafael Nadal of Spain has all but cemented his tennis shoes into the terre battue, or red clay, of Roland Garros.

From New York Times ● May 24, 2019

We outline whom they face first, how far they might go, and what would be a good French Open result for players from a nation that has traditionally struggled on the terre battue.

From The Guardian ● May 23, 2015

Having beaten none other than Federer on clay earlier this year, Isner could very well go deep in the draw at the French—and restore some much-needed American pride on the dreaded terre battue.

From Time ● May 23, 2012

Many of them thought they would now be called upon to answer for the sins of Santa Anna, for the treason of Santa Fé, the slaughter of the Alamo, and the battue at Goliad.

From The Guerilla Chief And other Tales by Reid, Mayne

In these battues, those who have fire-arms form two sides of a triangle, and are placed with their backs to the wind, along the roads which border the wood the traqueurs are about to beat.

From Le Morvan, [A District of France,] Its Wild Sports, Vineyards and Forests; with Legends, Antiquities, Rural and Local Sketches by Jesse, William

I have already related how the queen persecuted the poor royal wolf with hunts and battues, so that he was the innocent cause of great trouble and inconvenience to the whole wolvine family.

From Fairy Tales From all Nations by Montalba, Anthony R.

The ladies then, for the first time, were made acquainted with the doubts, fears, perplexities, and battues, which, out of gallantry, they had hitherto been kept in ignorance of.

From Willis the Pilot by Adrien, Paul

The result of the battues were not satisfactory.

From Round About the Carpathians by Crosse, Andrew F.

I have, however, little doubt that Rooks during the whole of their lives associate the memory of these battues with the appearance of a man armed with a gun.

From British Birds in their Haunts by Johns, Rev. C. A.