batter

What it means

1. To hit or strike violently and repeatedly.

   The firemen battered down the door.

   2 more examples

   The golden ſtature of their feathered bird That ſpreads her wings vpon the city wals, Shall not defend it from our battering ſhot.

   c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act IIII, scene ii

   The journey is worth an article in itself, but all I can give is a flavour of a railway which traverses a bleak but dramatic coastline that's regularly battered by the elements - especially around Parton, where the line is constantly threatened by the sea.

   2022 November 2, Paul Bigland, “New trains, old trains, and splendid scenery”, in RAIL, number 969, pages 56–57

2. cookingTo coat with batter (the food ingredient).

   I prefer it when they batter the cod with breadcrumbs.

3. figurativelyTo defeat soundly; to thrash.

   Leeds United battered Charlton 7-0.

   1 more example

   There have been so many times when England were such a tactically flat, stressed-out bunch that they could squeeze the joy out of battering even the meekest opposition, so at times against Panama you had to rub your eyes at the general levels of fun being had.

   2018 June 24, Sam Wallace, “Harry Kane scores hat-trick as England hit Panama for six to secure World Cup knock-out qualification”, in Telegraph (UK), retrieved 24 Jun 2018

   Synonyms: thrash

In a sentence

The firemen battered down the door.

Where it comes from

1. Middle Englishbatten
2. Middle Englishbatteren
3. Englishbatter

From Middle English batteren, batren, bateren, a frequentative of Middle English batten, baten (“to beat”), equivalent to bat + -er (frequentative suffix).