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• battery
  battery

  noun

  a combination of two or more cells electrically connected to work together to produce electric energy.
• Battery
  Battery

  noun

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

battery

¹ American  

[bat-uh-ree] / ˈbæt ə ri /

noun

• batteries
  plural

1. Also called galvanic battery, voltaic battery.  Electricity. a combination of two or more cells electrically connected to work together to produce electric energy.

2. any large group or series of related things.

   a battery of questions.

3. Military.

   1. two or more pieces of artillery used for combined action.

   2. a tactical unit of artillery, usually consisting of six guns together with the artillerymen, equipment, etc., required to operate them.

   3. a parapet or fortification equipped with artillery.

4. a group or series of similar articles, machines, parts, etc.

5. Baseball. the pitcher and catcher considered as a unit.

6. Navy.

   1. (on a warship) a group of guns having the same caliber or used for the same purpose.

   2. the whole armament of a warship.

7. Psychology. a series of tests yielding a single total score, used for measuring aptitude, intelligence, personality, etc.

8. the act of beating or battering.

9. Law. an unlawful attack upon another person by beating or wounding, or by touching in an offensive manner.

10. an instrument used in battering.

11. Music. Also the instruments comprising the percussion section of an orchestra.

12. any imposing group of persons or things acting or directed in unison.

    a battery of experts.

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Battery ² American  

[bat-uh-ree] / ˈbæt ə ri /

noun

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

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battery British  

/ ˈbætərɪ /

noun

1. 1. two or more primary cells connected together, usually in series, to provide a source of electric current

   2. short for dry battery

2. another name for accumulator

3. a number of similar things occurring together

   a battery of questions

4. criminal law unlawful beating or wounding of a person or mere touching in a hostile or offensive manner See also assault and battery

5. a fortified structure on which artillery is mounted

6. a group of guns, missile launchers, searchlights, or torpedo tubes of similar type or size operated as a single entity

7. a small tactical unit of artillery usually consisting of two or more troops, each of two, three or four guns

8. 1. a large group of cages for intensive rearing of poultry

   2. ( as modifier )

      battery hens

9. psychol a series of tests

10. chess two pieces of the same colour placed so that one can unmask an attack by the other by moving

11. the percussion section in an orchestra

12. baseball the pitcher and the catcher considered together

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battery Scientific  

/ băt′ə-rē /

1. 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.

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battery Cultural  

1. 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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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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• batteries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of battery

First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French batterie, equivalent to batt(re) “to beat” + -erie noun suffix; see bate ², -ery

Explanation

Battery is (among other things) physical attack or assault: “He was arrested for battery after he hit his manager several times on the head with a large flashlight.” When you think of a battery, you probably envision the electrical devices that allow you to power everything in your life — from your car to your cell phone. However, battery has a whole host of meanings. In addition to beating someone as in "assault and battery," it also refers to a collection of artillery or guns: “He’s collected a battery of weapons; we hope he doesn’t intend to use them." Beyond guns, a battery can also refer to any group or collection of similar things: “She was subjected to a battery of tests, designed to determine whether she was a genius or just plain smart.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

battery Battery batteries

You don’t want a low-quality battery that might catch fire, or a compromised or modified circuit board that bypasses normal security guards.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

You end up with a faulty port, malfunctioning screen or a bad battery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

In May, Stihl announced a new battery system that uses high-performance batteries.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

I just sound like I run out of battery.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

He had the two prongs of jumper cables with the other end attached to the car battery.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

Battery researchers often remove this water because moisture is commonly viewed as harmful to battery materials.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026

Battery life, for instance, fell well short of expectations.

From Slate ● Jun. 20, 2026

Battery manufacturing stocks have several red flags that would normally make them weak investments.

From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026

Battery capacity and efficiency has improved, meaning electric buses can be charged quickly and cover long distances.

From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026

A blast of cannon fire sounded from the Battery, more royal celebrations.

From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Shipping executives warned that an exemption for small batteries from hazardous-goods rules is increasing the threat of fires on containerships.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

The world's second-largest economy also has an economic interest as the leading exporter of green technologies, including solar panels, electric vehicles, wind turbines and batteries.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

These batteries use a relatively new, more efficient design for lithium battery cells, known as tabless cells.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

The Pentagon is meanwhile asking factories to increase production of traditional defensive batteries like the Patriot missile system.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

She tries to turn off the TV, but the batteries are strewn across the rug.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Related Words

• assault