I. ba·ton bəˈtän, baˈ-, -ˈtäⁿ, -tōⁿ sometimes -tȯn; also ˈbaˌ ̷ ̷ or US sometimes and Brit usually ˈbat ə n noun
( -s )
Etymology: French bâton, from Old French baston — more at baston
1. : a club used as a weapon : cudgel , truncheon ; especially : a policeman's billy
2. : a staff borne as a symbol of office
the baton of a field marshal
3. heraldry
a. : a narrow bend
b. : a narrow bend with the ends cut off that is borne sinister and used as a mark of illegitimate descent in English heraldry
4. : a stick or wand with which a leader directs a band or orchestra
5. also baton de com·man·de·ment bȧtōⁿdəkȯmäⁿd(ə) mäⁿ, bȧtōⁿtk- : an artifact of Aurignacian and later paleolithic times consisting of a reindeer or stag horn having one or more perforations and usually engraved or carved and possibly used as a shaft straightener — compare arrow straightener
6. : a hollow wooden, paper, or plastic cylinder carried by each member of a relay team and passed to the succeeding runner in the exchange zone
7.
a. : a long loaf of bread
b. : a thin short stick made of bread or pastry dough and sometimes flavored (as with cheese)
8. : a smooth staff weighted with a ball at one end for balance and carried by a drum major or baton twirler
II. bat·on ˈbat ə n transitive verb
( batoned ; batoned ; batoning ˈbat( ə )niŋ ; batons )
: to beat or strike with a baton : cudgel
threatened to baton him to death — Sir Walter Scott
III. ba·ton bəˈtän, baˈ- sometimes -ˈtȯn also ˈbaˌ ̷ ̷ intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to lead a band or orchestra : conduct