bat

plural bats

1. Any flying mammal of the order Chiroptera, usually small and nocturnal, insectivorous or frugivorous.

   The Bat—they called him the Bat. Like a bat he chose the night hours for his work of rapine; like a bat he struck and vanished, pouncingly, noiselessly; like a bat he never showed himself to the face of the day.

   1920, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Avery Hopwood, chapter I, in The Bat: A Novel from the Play (Dell Book; 241), New York, N.Y.: Dell Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 01

   1 more example

   As well as being worth millions of dollars to the Texan agriculture industry, these mammals are worth millions of dollars to the state’s tourism industry. Texas is home to the world’s largest known bat colony (in Comal County), and the world’s largest urban bat colony (in Austin). Bat watching is a common activity, with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department offering more bat-viewing sites than anywhere else in the US.

   2012, Suemedha Sood, (bbc.co.uk) Travelwise: Texas love bats [sic]

   Synonyms: chiropter, chiropteran, flindermouse, flitterbat, flittermouse, fluttermouse, flying mouse, rattlemouse

2. derogatoryAn old woman.

   "Isn't it lovely?" I smiled and thought: "Yes it is. It's also a Blackbird, you silly old bat!

   2000, Bill Oddie, Gripping Yarns, page 196

plural bats

1. A club, made of wood like a baseball bat or otherwise, used as a weapon
2. A club made of wood or aluminium used for striking the ball in sports such as baseball, softball and cricket.
3. A turn at hitting the ball with a bat in a game.

   You've been in for ages. Can I have a bat now?

4. A player rated according to skill in batting.

   He's a good fielder and a valuable bat.

5. two-upThe piece of wood on which the spinner places the coins and then uses for throwing them.

   Synonyms: kip, kylie, lannet, stick, kip, stick, kylie, lannet

6. businessShale or bituminous shale.

   bituminous shale ; which miners , if I mistake not , call bat

   1799, Richard Kirwan, Geological Essays

7. A sheet of cotton used for filling quilts or comfortables; batting.
8. A part of a brick with one whole end.
9. A stroke; a sharp blow.
10. potteryA removable flat board or disk attached to a potter's wheel prior to throwing used to transport and dry greenware.
11. ScotlandUKdialectalA stroke of work.
12. informalRate of motion; speed.

    a vast host of fowl […] making at full bat for the North Sea.

    1898, unknown author, Pall Mall Magazine

    1 more example

    On starting, The Nun led at a very slow pace for a quarter of a mile, when the Shrigley colt made running at a good bat.

    1842, Sporting Magazine, page 251

13. USdatedslangA spree; a jollification; a binge, jag.
14. ScotlandUKdialectalManner; rate; condition; state of health.
15. KentSussexA rough walking stick.

    So ſlides he dovvne vppon his greyned bat; / And comely diſtant ſits he by her ſide, […]

    1609, William Shakespeare, “A Louers Complaint”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC, signature K2, verso

present singular third person bats · participle present batting · participle past batted · past batted

1. transitiveTo hit with a bat or (figuratively) as if with a bat.

   We batted a few ideas around.

   1 more example

   He batted the ball away with a satisfying thwack.

2. intransitiveTo take a turn at hitting a ball with a bat in sports like cricket, baseball and softball, as opposed to fielding.
3. intransitiveTo strike or swipe as though with a bat.

   The cat batted at the toy.

4. UKdialectalobsoleteTo bate or flutter, as a hawk.

present singular third person bats · participle present batting · participle past batted · past batted

1. transitiveTo flutter.

   to bat one’s eyelashes

2. UKUSdialectalTo wink.
3. intransitiveusuallyTo flit quickly from place to place.

   I’ve spent all week batting around the country.

   1 more example

   The "Star" is batting along at about a mile a minute, chattering away at the chimney and snatching small coal off the shovel.

   1956 February, W. A. Tuplin, “Hot Work on a "Star"”, in Railway Magazine, page 88

plural bats

1. obsoleteA packsaddle.

1. datedDated form of baht (“Thai currency”).

plural bats

1. CaribbeanMulticultural London EnglishabbreviationclippingClipping of batty (“buttocks or anus”).

plural bats

1. UKdialectalobsoleteA child's shoe without a welt.

   The retailer who sells a little girl a pretty pair of shoes today instead of a pair of bats, is bound to sell that girl, when she grows up, a pair of stylish $3 or $4 shoes instead of her buying a pair of $1.98 bargain bats elsewhere.

   1909, Boot and Shoe Recorder, volume 55, page 25

2. UKobsoleteslangA boot that is badly made or in poor condition.

plural bats

1. abbreviationclippingslangClipping of battery.

   where is cheapest place to buy laptop batt?

   2000 June 30, Steve Perry, “cheapest place for laptop bat?”, in england.ads.computer (Usenet), archived from the original on 09 Sep 2025

   5 more examples

   All these things must sell... […] * Motorola Cell phone bat/case/no contract

   1997 November 30, renovations@usa.net [Sherry Edwards], “FS----Great Xmas Gifts”, in van.forsale (Usenet), archived from the original on 09 Sep 2025

   [T]he razor was allways^([sic]) planed^([sic]) to be a thinner PalmIII with Li-Ion bat and a better LCD (i.e. less glare and more contrast)... […] You can replace it in the same way than^([sic]) the Cell Phone bat's...very easy !!!

   1999 February 16, Death to Spammers!!!, “Palm V Sneak Preview - Review with Pictures”, in comp.sys.palmtops.pilot (Usenet), archived from the original on 09 Sep 2025

   1 toshiba^([sic]) t2450ct laptop bat does not work but fine on power supply.

   2002 September 1, gofast, “f.S Computer stuff”, in kingston.forsale (Usenet), archived from the original on 09 Sep 2025

   I am looking for dead battery packs for the IBM 700 series.

   2003 July 7, 1234, “Wanted dead laptop bat packs for IBM”, in calgary.forsale (Usenet), archived from the original on 09 Sep 2025

   The retail for my laptop bat in Wpg was around $300 and I got it for around $125 canadian.^([sic])

   2005 January 10, Richard, “laptop batteries”, in wpg.computers.help (Usenet), archived from the original on 09 Sep 2025

1. abbreviationhobbiesAbbreviation of Bathurst.

plural BATs

1. abbreviationcountableinitialismuncountableInitialism of best available technology: a principle applying to regulations on limiting pollutant discharges.
2. abbreviationcountableinitialismuncountableInitialism of brown adipose tissue.
3. ChinacountableuncountableengineeringOne or more of the Chinese technology companies Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent.