batter
1 Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
noun
verb (used with object)
noun
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
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to hit (someone or something) repeatedly using heavy blows, as with a club or other heavy instrument; beat heavily
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(tr; often passive) to damage or injure, as by blows, heavy wear, etc
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(tr) social welfare to subject (a person, esp a close relative living in the same house) to repeated physical violence
-
(tr) to subject (a person, opinion, or theory) to harsh criticism; attack
noun
verb
noun
noun
noun
Etymology
Origin of batter1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English bateren, probably from Middle French, Old French batre “to beat,” with the French infinitive ending -re identified with -er 6; see bate 2
Origin of batter2
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English bat(o)ur, bat(e)re, perhaps from Anglo-French bature, Old French bat(e)ure “act of beating,” equivalent to bat(re) “to beat” + -eure (from -ātūra assumed abstract noun suffix); reinforced by batter 1; see origin at bate 2, -ate 2, -ure
Origin of batter3
First recorded in 1765–75; bat 1 + -er 1
Origin of batter4
First recorded in 1540–50; of obscure origin
Explanation
To batter is to beat repeatedly, as if one boxer were clobbering another with blows. Batter is one of those words with many meanings that seem entirely unrelated to each other. You can batter by hitting again and again, but there's also a batter in baseball — the guy who's holding a bat and waiting for the pitcher to throw the ball. Yet another meaning is the batter you mix up when you're making muffins, using eggs, flour, milk, and sugar. They all come from the same Latin root word, battuere, "to beat or strike."
Vocabulary lists containing batter
Stairway To Leaven: Baking Vocabulary
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"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling
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The Tempest
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The last choice is the wimp’s way out, since the batter will lose his teammates’ respect, while opposing pitchers will consider him a pushover and fire more brushback pitches at him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
When a pitcher purposely throws high and inside, the batter has four choices.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Challenges must be requested immediately and can only come from the batter, pitcher or catcher with no assistance from the dugout.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
A hard-hitting left-handed middle-order batter, he was capable of bowling in three distinct styles, as well as being an athletic fielder and a fine close catcher.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Annie was singing in the kitchen, the boys helping her mix the batter.
From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.