bat 1
/bat/ , n. , v. , batted, batting .
n.
1. Sports.
a. the wooden club used in certain games, as baseball and cricket, to strike the ball.
b. a racket, esp. one used in badminton or table tennis.
c. a whip used by a jockey.
d. the act of using a club or racket in a game.
e. the right or turn to use a club or racket.
2. a heavy stick, club, or cudgel.
3. Informal. a blow, as with a bat.
4. any fragment of brick or hardened clay.
5. Masonry. a brick cut transversely so as to leave one end whole.
6. Brit. Slang. speed; rate of motion or progress, esp. the pace of the stroke or step of a race.
7. Slang. a spree; binge: to go on a bat.
8. Ceram.
a. a sheet of gelatin or glue used in bat printing.
b. a slab of moist clay.
c. a ledge or shelf in a kiln.
d. a slab of plaster for holding a piece being modeled or for absorbing excess water from slip.
9. batt.
10. at bat , Baseball.
a. taking one's turn to bat in a game: at bat with two men in scoring position.
b. an instance at bat officially charged to a batter except when the batter is hit by a pitch, receives a base on balls, is interfered with by the catcher, or makes a sacrifice hit or sacrifice fly: two hits in three at bats.
11. go to bat for , Informal. to intercede for; vouch for; defend: to go to bat for a friend.
12. right off the bat , Informal. at once; without delay: They asked me to sing right off the bat.
v.t.
13. to strike or hit with or as if with a bat or club.
14. Baseball. to have a batting average of; hit: He batted .325 in spring training.
v.i.
15. Sports.
a. to strike at the ball with the bat.
b. to take one's turn as a batter.
16. Slang. to rush.
17. bat around ,
a. Slang. to roam; drift.
b. Informal. to discuss or ponder; debate: We batted the idea around.
c. Baseball. to have every player in the lineup take a turn at bat during a single inning.
18. bat in , Baseball. to cause (a run) to be scored by getting a hit: He batted in two runs with a double to left.
19. bat out , to do, write, produce, etc., hurriedly: I have to bat out a term paper before class.
20. bat the breeze . See breeze 1 (def. 5).
[ 1175-1225; (n.) ME bat, bot, batte, OE batt, perh. bat, bata staff, cudgel; (v.) ME batten, partly from the n., partly batre; see BATTER 1 ]
Syn. 13. knock, wallop, swat, smack, sock, slug; clout, clobber.
bat 2
— batlike , adj.
/bat/ , n.
1. any of numerous flying mammals of the order Chiroptera, of worldwide distribution in tropical and temperate regions, having modified forelimbs that serve as wings and are covered with a membranous skin extending to the hind limbs.
2. blind as a bat , nearly or completely blind; having very poor vision: Anyone can tell that he's blind as a bat, but he won't wear glasses.
3. have bats in one's belfry , Informal. to have crazy ideas; be very peculiar, erratic, or foolish: If you think you can row across the ocean in that boat, you have bats in your belfry.
[ 1570-75; appar. natt-batta, var. of OSw natt-bakka night-bat; r. ME bakke ( balke for *blake natt-blacka ]
bat 3
/bat/ , v.t., batted, batting .
1. to blink; wink; flutter.
2. not bat an eye , to show no emotion or surprise; maintain a calm exterior: The murderer didn't bat an eye when the jury announced its verdict of guilty.
[ 1605-15; var. of BATE 2 ]