batter

1 of 6

verb (1)

bat·​ter ˈba-tər How to pronounce batter (audio)
battered; battering; batters
Synonyms of batternext

transitive verb

1
a
: to beat with successive blows so as to bruise, shatter, or demolish
battered down the door
women who have been battered by their husbands
b
: bombard
battering targets with artillery fire
battering the lawyer with questions
c
law : to commit battery against (someone) : to offensively touch or use force on (a person) without the person's consent
… was battered and cut badly enough to be hospitalized overnight.—N. R. Kleinfield
… studies showing that a woman is at greatest risk of being battered, and even murdered, by her partner when he suspects her of sexual infidelity.—Sharon Begley
2
: to subject to strong, overwhelming, or repeated attack
battered by forces of change
Their confidence was battered by a series of losses.
3
: to wear or damage by hard usage or blows
a battered old hat

intransitive verb

1
: to strike something heavily and repeatedly : beat, pound
flies battered against … the electric-light bulbs—D. B. Chidsey
2
law : to commit battery against another : to offensively touch or use force on a person without the person's consent
… the personality characteristics and life histories that lead men to batter and kill.—Erica Goode
batterer
ˈba-tər-ər How to pronounce batter (audio)
noun

batter

2 of 6

noun (1)

1
a
: a mixture consisting chiefly of flour, egg, and milk or water and being thin enough to pour or drop from a spoon
thin pancake batter
b
: a mixture (as of flour and egg) used as a coating for food that is to be fried
dip the chicken in the batter
beer batter
2
: an instance of battering (see batter entry 1)

batter

3 of 6

verb (2)

battered; battering; batters

transitive verb

food : to coat with a mixture (as of flour and egg) for frying : to coat (food) with batter (see batter entry 2 sense 1b)
fish that has been battered and fried

batter

4 of 6

noun (2)

: a receding upward slope of the outer face of a wall or other structure

batter

5 of 6

verb (3)

battered; battering; batters

transitive verb

: to give a receding upward slope to (something, such as a wall)

batter

6 of 6

noun (3)

: one that strikes or hits a ball with a bat
especially : the player whose turn it is to bat
The pitcher walked the first batter.

Synonyms

Verb (1)

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of batter in a Sentence

Verb (1) children battered the piñata until it broke open planes battered the city for weeks
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But Ziehl struck out the next two batters to end the threat. —Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 23 May 2024 Then, after swiping second for his 13th steal of the season (tied for seventh in the majors), Ohtani scored on Will Smith’s double two batters later, helping spark a rally that nearly tied the score. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for batter 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'batter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English bateren, probably frequentative of batten to bat, from bat

Noun (1)

Middle English bater, probably from bateren

Verb (2)

verbal derivative of batter entry 2

Noun (2)

origin unknown

Verb (3)

verbal derivative of batter entry 4

Noun (3)

bat entry 2 + -er entry 2

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

1971, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1743, in the meaning defined above

Verb (3)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1773, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of batter was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing batter

Dictionary Entries Near batter

batten plate

batter

batter's box

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Batter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/batter. Accessed 29 May. 2024.

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Kids Definition

batter

1 of 3 verb
bat·​ter ˈbat-ər How to pronounce batter (audio)
1
: to beat with repeated violent blows
batter down the door
2
: to wear down or injure by hard use
wore a battered old hat
batterer noun

batter

2 of 3 noun
: a thin mixture chiefly of flour and liquid beaten together
cake batter

batter

3 of 3 noun
: one that bats
especially : the baseball player at bat
Etymology

Verb

Middle English bateren "to beat"

Noun

Middle English bater "thin mixture," probably derived from bateren "to beat"

Noun

bat and -er (noun suffix)

More from Merriam-Webster on batter

Nglish: Translation of batter for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of batter for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about batter

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