bat

English Online Dictionary. What means bat‎? What does bat mean?

Translingual

Symbol

bat

1. (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-5 language code for Baltic languages.

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: băt, IPA^(key): /bæt/
• Rhymes: -æt

Etymology 1

Dialectal variant (akin to dialectal Swedish natt-batta) of Middle English bakke, balke, of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse (leðr)blaka (literally “(leather) flapper”), from leðr + blaka (“to flap”).

Compare Old Swedish natbakka, Old Danish nathbakkæ (literally “night-flapper”).

Noun

bat (plural bats)

2. Any of the flying mammals of the order Chiroptera, usually small and nocturnal, insectivorous or frugivorous.

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

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

     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.

4. (derogatory) An old woman.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• Appendix:Animals
• Appendix:English collective nouns

Etymology 2

From Middle English bat, batte, from Old English batt (“bat, club, cudgel”), probably of Celtic origin, compare Old Breton bath (“club, cudgel”) and modern Breton bazh (“swagger stick”), ultimately from a derivative of Proto-Indo-European *bʰedʰh₂- (“to strike, beat, pierce”), similar to the Gaulish source of Latin battuo (“I beat, pound”).

Noun

bat (plural bats)

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.

4. A player rated according to skill in batting.

5. (two-up) The piece of wood on which the spinner places the coins and then uses for throwing them.

   Synonyms: kip, kylie, lannet, stick

6. (mining) Shale or bituminous shale.
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. (UK, Scotland, dialect) A stroke of work.
11. (informal) Rate of motion; speed.
12. (US, slang, dated) A spree; a jollification; a binge, jag.
13. (UK, Scotland, dialect) Manner; rate; condition; state of health.
14. (Kent, Sussex) A rough walking stick.

Synonyms

• (two-up): kip, stick, kylie, lannet

Derived terms

Translations

References

Etymology 3

From Middle English batten, baten (“to beat”), from Old French batre (“to beat”), from Late Latin battere, from Latin battuere, of uncertain origin; perhaps of Germanic or Celtic origin. In modern English reinterpreted as a verbal derivative of Etymology 2. Compare batter, battery.

Verb

bat (third-person singular simple present bats, present participle batting, simple past and past participle batted)

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

3. (intransitive) To take a turn at hitting a ball with a bat in sports like cricket, baseball and softball, as opposed to fielding.
4. (intransitive) To strike or swipe as though with a bat.

5. (UK, dialect, obsolete) To bate or flutter, as a hawk.

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 4

Possibly a variant of bate.

Verb

bat (third-person singular simple present bats, present participle batting, simple past and past participle batted)

1. (transitive) To flutter

2. (US, UK, dialect) To wink.
3. (intransitive, usually with ‘around’ or ‘about’) To flit quickly from place to place.

Usage notes

Most commonly used in the phrase bat an eye, and variants thereof.

Derived terms

Etymology 5

Borrowed from French bât, from Old French bast, from Vulgar Latin *bastum, form of *bastāre (“to carry”), from Ancient Greek βαστάζω (bastázō, “to lift, carry”). Doublet of baton and baston.

Noun

bat (plural bats)

1. (obsolete) A packsaddle.

Derived terms

• batman

Etymology 6

Noun

bat

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

Etymology 7

Noun

bat (plural bats)

1. (Caribbean, MLE) Clipping of batty (“buttocks or anus”).

Etymology 8

Noun

bat (plural bats)

1. (UK, dialect, obsolete) A child's shoe without a welt.
2. (UK, slang, obsolete) A boot that is badly made or in poor condition.

References

• (child's shoe; boot): J. Wright, The English Dialect Dictionary
• (boot): 1873, John Camden Hotten, The Slang Dictionary

See also

• bat mitzvah
• bits and bats

Anagrams

• ABT, ATB, B.T.A., BTA, TBA, Tab, abt, abt., tab

Aromanian

Alternative forms

• batu

Etymology

From Latin battō, from earlier battuō. Compare Daco-Romanian bat, bate.

Verb

bat first-singular present indicative (third-person singular present indicative bati or bate, past participle bãtutã)

1. to beat, hit, strike
2. to defeat

Synonyms

• (beat): agudescu
• (defeat): azvingu

Related terms

• batiri/batire
• bãteri
• bãtut
• bãtutã
• strãbat

Basque

Etymology

From a reduced form of Proto-Basque *bade (“one, some”), present also in bederatzi (“nine”) and bedera (“same; everyone”). Compared by Eduardo Orduña and Joan Ferrer to Iberian ban (“one”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bat/ [bat̪]
• Rhymes: -at
• Hyphenation: bat

Determiner

bat (postposed)

1. a, an, some

2. (after a numeral) some, about, around

3. the same

Usage notes

• The determiner doesn't take the definite singular form.

Declension

Numeral

bat

1. one

Usage notes

• The declension table shown in this section only applies when bat is used as a noun (usually when referring to the number itself). For other uses see the other declension tables.

Declension

Derived terms

Pronoun

bat (indefinite)

1. some, something, someone

Usage notes

• When used as a pronoun, the definite form bata is more common in Southern dialects.

Declension

Derived terms

References

Further reading

• “bat zenbatzailea”, in Euskara Batuaren Eskuliburua [Handbook of Standard Basque], Euskaltzaindia, 2023
• “bat zenbatzailea / -a artikulua (batzuk/-ak)”, in Euskara Batuaren Eskuliburua [Handbook of Standard Basque], Euskaltzaindia, 2023
• “bat”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈbat]
• Rhymes: -at

Etymology 1

Deverbal from batre.

Noun

bat m (plural bats)

1. a place exposed to the elements

   Synonyms: batent, baterell

Etymology 2

Verb

bat

1. inflection of batre:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Etymology 3

Borrowed from English bat.

Noun

bat m (plural bats)

1. (baseball) bat

Derived terms

• batada

Related terms

• batedor

Further reading

“bat” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Cebuano

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbat/ [ˈbat̪]

Noun

bat

1. Alternative form of balat

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈb̥ad̥]

Etymology 1

From English bat.

Noun

bat n (singular definite battet, plural indefinite bat or bats)

1. bat (a club for striking a ball)

Declension

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

bat

1. imperative of batte

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ba/
• Homophones: bats (general), bât, bâts, bas (some speakers)

Verb

bat

1. third-person singular present indicative of battre

See also

• bat les couilles (“not give a fuck”)

Anagrams

• t.a.b.

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baːt/
• Rhymes: -aːt
• Homophones: Bad (standard, but not universal), Bart (some speakers)

Verb

bat

1. first/third-person singular preterite of bitten

Haitian Creole

Etymology

From French battre (“beat”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bat/

Verb

bat

1. to spank, to beat

Hokkien

Jamaican Creole

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbat/
• Hyphenation: bat

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

bat (plural bat dem, quantified bat)

1. moth (nocturnal insect)

Derived terms

• dunce bat
• duppy bat

Etymology 2

From English bat.

Noun

bat (plural bat dem, quantified bat)

1. bat (instrument for hitting or striking)

Derived terms

1. old bat

References

• Richard Allsopp, editor (1996), Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage, Kingston, Jamaica: University of the West Indies Press, published 2003, →ISBN, page 83
• bat – jamaicans.com Jamaican Patois dictionary

Jingpho

Etymology

Borrowed from Burmese ပတ် (pat).

Noun

bat

1. week

References

• Kurabe, Keita (2016 December 31) “Phonology of Burmese loanwords in Jinghpaw”, in Kyoto University Linguistic Research‎^[2], volume 35, →DOI, →ISSN, pages 91–128

Luo

Noun

bat (plural bede)

1. arm

Middle Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bat/

Etymology 1

From Old Dutch *bath, from Proto-West Germanic *baþ.

Noun

bat n

1. bath

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: bad
• Limburgish: baad

Etymology 2

From Old Dutch *bat, *bet, from Proto-Germanic *batiz.

Adverb

bat

1. better; comparative degree of wel

   Synonym: beter

Alternative forms

• bet

Descendants

• Dutch: bet (still as simplex in Early Modern Dutch, now fossilized in e.g. in betweter (“know-it-all”))

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

bat

1. first/third-person singular past indicative of bidden

Further reading

• “bat (I)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• “bat (III)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “bat (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “bet (III)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page bet

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English batt, from Celtic; influenced by Old French batte.

Alternative forms

• batt, batte, bot

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bat/, /bɔt/

Noun

bat (plural battes or botten)

1. A mace, bat, or morningstar (blunt weapon)
2. (rare) A pole or stick used for other
3. (rare, Late Middle English) A strike or hit from a weapon.
4. (rare, Late Middle English) A clump of soft material.

Descendants

• English: bat, batt
• Scots: bat
• Yola: bath, bat
• → Irish: bata
• → Scottish Gaelic: bata

References

• “bat, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-16.

Etymology 2

Noun

bat

1. (Northern) Alternative form of bot (“boat”)

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *bait.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɑːt/

Noun

bāt m

1. boat

Declension

Strong a-stem:

Occasionally appears as feminine: Strong ō-stem:

Descendants

Old French

Alternative forms

• bot, bote

Etymology

Borrowed from Old English bāt and Middle English bot.

Noun

bat oblique singular, m (oblique plural batz, nominative singular batz, nominative plural bat)

1. boat

References

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (bat)

Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bad/

Verb

bat

1. inflection of is:
   1. third-person plural imperative
   2. third-person plural present subjunctive

Mutation

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbat/
• Rhymes: -at
• Syllabification: bat
• Homophones: bad, Bat

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *batъ.

Noun

bat m inan (diminutive bacik)

1. whip (rod for beating)

   Synonym: bicz

2. (slang) joint (marijuana cigarette)
3. (in the plural) whipping, lash (type of corporal punishment)

   Synonyms: bicie, cięgi, knoty, lanie, wały

4. (in the plural, literary) reproof (criticizing)

   Synonym: cięgi

5. (in the plural, literary) whipping, licking, beating (heavy defeat or setback)

   Synonym: cięgi

Declension

Derived terms

Related terms

Etymology 2

Either borrowed from Swedish bat or Italian batto.

Noun

bat m inan

1. bateau (type of boat)

Declension

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Thai บาท (bàat), from Sanskrit पाद (pāda).

Noun

bat m animal

1. baht (currency of Thailand)

Declension

References

Further reading

• bat in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• bat in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Verb

bat

1. inflection of bate:
   1. first-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. third-person plural present indicative

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology 1

From Proto-Slavic *batъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bât/

Noun

bȁt m (Cyrillic spelling ба̏т)

1. mallet
2. helve hammer

Declension

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish باصدی (bastı) (Turkish bastı), from باصمق (basmak) (Turkish basmak).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bâːt/

Noun

bȃt m (Cyrillic spelling ба̑т)

1. The tramp of heavy footsteps, as in a military march
2. (rare) The tramp of horses’ hooves

Declension

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bâːt/

Noun

bȃt m (Cyrillic spelling ба̑т)

1. Alternative form of bȁht

Declension

References

• “bat”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025
• “bat”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025
• “bat”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English bat.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbat/ [ˈbat̪]
• Rhymes: -at
• Syllabification: bat

Noun

bat m (plural bats)

1. (baseball) bat (act of batting)
2. Misspelling of baht.

Further reading

• “bat”, in Diccionario de americanismos [Dictionary of Americanisms] (in Spanish), Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2010

Tagalog

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈbat/ [ˈbat̪̚]
• Rhymes: -at
• Syllabification: bat

Adverb

bat (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜆ᜔)

1. Alternative spelling of ba't

Turkish

Verb

bat

1. second-person singular imperative of batmak

Tzotzil

Pronunciation

• (Zinacantán) IPA^(key): /ɓätʰ/

Verb

bat

1. (intransitive) to go

References

• Laughlin, Robert M. (1975) The Great Tzotzil Dictionary of San Lorenzo Zinacantán. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.
• Laughlin, Robert M. [et al.] (1988) The Great Tzotzil Dictionary of Santo Domingo Zinacantán, vol. I. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.

Yola

Noun

bat

1. Alternative form of bath

References

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 106

Yucatec Maya

Noun

bat (plural batoʼob)

1. hail, hailstone

Zhuang

Pronunciation

• (Standard Zhuang) IPA^(key): /paːt˧˥/
• Tone numbers: bat⁷
• Hyphenation: bat

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 缽 (puɑt̚).

Noun

bat (Sawndip forms 朳 or 𥐙 or 鈸 or 叭 or 拔, 1957–1982 spelling bat)

1. basin; bowl

   Synonym: (dialectal) angq

Derived terms

Classifier

bat (1957–1982 spelling bat)

1. basin of; bowl of

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 八 (pˠɛt̚, “eight”). Doublet of bet.

Numeral

bat (1957–1982 spelling bat)

1. eight (used in compounds)

   Synonym: bet