/ ˈbætə(r); NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
[ often passive ] batter at / on sth | batter sb/sth to hit sb/sth hard many times, especially in a way that causes serious damage :
[ v ]
She battered at the door with her fists.
[ vn ]
He had been badly battered about the head and face.
Somebody had battered her to death .
Severe winds have been battering the north coast.
➡ note at beat
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PHRASAL VERBS
- batter sth down
■ noun
1.
[ U , C ] a mixture of eggs, milk and flour used in cooking to cover food such as fish or chicken before you fry it, or to make pancakes
2.
[ U , C ] ( NAmE ) a mixture of eggs, milk, flour, etc. used for making cakes
3.
[ C ] ( NAmE ) ( in baseball ) the player who is hitting the ball
••
WORD ORIGIN
verb Middle English : from Old French batre to beat (from Latin battuere ) + -er .
noun senses 1 to 2 late Middle English : from Old French bateure the action of beating, from batre to beat.