- bat
- [[t]bæ̱t[/t]]
♦♦♦bats, batting, batted1) N-COUNT A bat is a specially shaped piece of wood that is used for hitting the ball in baseball, softball, cricket, rounders, or table tennis.
...a baseball bat.
2) VERB When you bat, you have a turn at hitting the ball with a bat in baseball, softball, cricket, or rounders.Australia, put in to bat, made a cautious start.
Derived words:batting N-UNCOUNT oft N n, the N...his batting average...
He's likely to open the batting.
3) N-COUNT A bat is a small flying animal that looks like a mouse with wings made of skin. Bats are active at night.4) → See also old bat5) PHRASE: V inflects When something surprising or shocking happens, if someone doesn't bat an eyelid in British English, or doesn't bat an eye in American English, they remain calm and do not show any reaction.6) PHRASE: V inflects If you go to bat for someone or go in to bat for them, you give them your support.The old judge doesn't like the thought of no one going in to bat for the accused.
Syn:7) PHRASE: PHR after v If you drive like a bat out of hell, you drive extremely fast. [INFORMAL]He took off for Helsinki like a bat out of hell.
8) PHRASE: PHR after v If someone does something off their own bat, they do it without anyone else suggesting it. [BRIT]Whatever she did she did off her own bat. Whatever she did was nothing to do with me.
9) PHRASE: usu PHR after v If something happens right off the bat, it happens immediately. [AM]He learned right off the bat that you can't count on anything in this business.
English dictionary. 2008.
