<B>batter</B> (1), verb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1a. </B>to strike with repeated blows so as to break, or get out of shape; pound. <BR> <I>Ex. The fireman battered the door down with a heavy ax. (Figurative.) Blizzards battered Britain for the third day (Wall Street Journal).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>to repeatedly beat or severely mistreat another person either physically or emotionally. <BR> <I>Ex. Society genuinely abhors parents who beat children and spouses who batter each other (Time).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to damage by hard use. <BR> <I>Ex. The books were old and battered.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to inflict repeated blows; pound. <BR> <I>Ex. to batter away at a door.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> (Printing.) <B>1. </B>a damaged place on the face of printing type or a stereotype plate. <DD><B> 2. </B>a blur or defect in a sheet produced by bruised type. <DD><B> 3. </B>the damaged type. noun <B>batterer.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="batter">
<B>batter</B> (2), noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> a thick liquid mixture of flour, milk, and eggs that becomes solid when cooked. Cakes, pancakes, and muffins are made from batter. A batter may always be poured, as distinguished from <I>dough.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to make into a batter. </DL>
<A NAME="batter">
<B>batter</B> (3), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the player whose turn it is to bat in baseball, cricket, and similar games. Also, (British,) <B>batsman.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="batter">
<B>batter</B> (4), verb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.i., v.t. </I> to slant gradually backward from the base, as a retaining wall. <DD><I>noun </I> a decrease in thickness of a wall from base to top, made by slanting the outer face. </DL>
<A NAME="batterboard">
<B>batter board,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> one of the boards fastened horizontally to posts near the corners of an excavation to which strings are stretched to mark the outlines of the wall or building. </DL>
<A NAME="battercake">
<B>battercake, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a pancake; griddlecake. </DL>
<A NAME="batteredchildsyndrome">
<B>battered child syndrome,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a condition of severe bruises or other injuries in small children who have been repeatedly beaten or otherwise mistreated by their parents or guardians. </DL>
<A NAME="batteredwomansyndrome">
<B>battered-woman syndrome,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a condition in which a woman's ability to act reasonably is impaired by experiencing repeated physical violence. <BR> <I>Ex. Evidence about battered-woman syndrome may be the only way to persuade a jury to identify with a killer (Time).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="batterie">
<B>batterie, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Ballet.) a movement in which the dancer beats the calves or feet together during a leap. </DL>
<A NAME="batteringram">
<B>battering ram,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a heavy beam used in ancient and medieval warfare for battering down walls and gates. Some battering rams had an iron piece in the shape of a ram's head mounted on a frame at one end. <DD><B> 2a. </B>any heavy object used to break down a door or wall. <DD><B> b. </B>(Figurative.) anything similar in purpose or effect. </DL>
<A NAME="battersbox">
<B>batter's box,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Baseball.) a rectangle marked off in white on either side of the plate, in which a batter must stand while at bat. </DL>
<A NAME="battery">
<B>battery, </B>noun, pl. <B>-teries.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1a. </B>a container holding materials that produce electricity by chemical action; a single electric cell. <BR> <I>Ex. Most flashlights work on two batteries.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>a set of two or more electric cells that produce electric current. <BR> <I>Ex. The car won't start because the battery is dead.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) any set of similar or connected things. <BR> <I>Ex. The President spoke before a battery of television cameras. If you want this job, you will have to take a battery of tests.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a set of similar pieces of equipment such as mounted guns, searchlights, or mortars, used as a unit. <BR> <I>Ex. Four artillery batteries began firing on the enemy.</I> <DD><B> 4a. </B>a platform or fortification equipped with two or more pieces of artillery. <DD><B> b. </B>a military unit of artillery, usually commanded by a captain and comprising four pieces of artillery together with the soldiers who serve them. A battery corresponds to a company or troop in other branches of the army. <DD><B> 5. </B>the armament (or any part of it) of a warship. <BR> <I>Ex. a main battery of 8-inch guns.</I> <DD><B> 6. </B>(Baseball.) the pitcher and catcher together. <DD><B> 7. </B>a group of closely arranged cages for raising chicks or chickens in a minimum of space. <DD><B> 8. </B>(Law.) an unlawful beating of another person or any threatening touch to his clothes or body. <DD><B> 9. </B>(collectively) the percussion instruments of an orchestra. </DL>
<B>batting, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the action or manner of using or striking with a bat. <DD><B> 2. </B>cotton or wool pressed into thin layers, used to line comforters or quilts. </DL>
<A NAME="battingaverage">
<B>batting average,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a decimal fraction indicating a baseball or cricket player's record as a batter. <BR> <I>Ex. A baseball player who is at bat five times and makes two hits has a batting average of .400.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Informal, Figurative.) the level of success maintained by someone in any activity. <BR> <I>Ex. We found out that the batting average was high enough on completing station-to-station calls to make it cheaper always to call station-to-station (Wall Street Journal).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="battingeye">
<B>batting eye,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Baseball.) the keenness of sight and speed of reflex required to be a good batter. </DL>
<A NAME="battingorder">
<B>batting order,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the order in which the members of a baseball or cricket team take their turns at bat. </DL>
<A NAME="battle">
<B>battle</B> (1), noun, verb, <B>-tled,</B> <B>-tling.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1a. </B>a fight between opposing armies, navies, air forces, or any combination of these; combat. <BR> <I>Ex. The battle for the island lasted six months.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>hostilities between nations; fighting or warfare. <BR> <I>Ex. The soldier received his wounds in battle.</I> (SYN) combat. <DD><B> 2. </B>a fight between two persons or animals; single combat; duel. <BR> <I>Ex. The badger and the dog had a ferocious battle in the woods.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>any fight or contest. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) The candidates fought a battle of words during the campaign.</I> (SYN) strife, conflict, struggle. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Archaic.) a battalion. <DD><I>v.i. </I> to take part in a battle; fight; struggle; contend. <BR> <I>Ex. The hunter battled with the attacking wolves. (Figurative.) It takes courage to battle for justice.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to give battle to; fight against. <BR> <I>Ex. The swimmer had to battle a strong current.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>give battle to</B> or <B>do battle </B>(<B>with</B> or <B>over</B>), </I>to engage in a conflict; fight. <BR> <I>Ex. Shall we give battle to the imperialists or not? (Daniel Defoe). They are also preparing to do battle over the budget cuts and tuition fees (Manchester Guardian Weekly).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>join battle,</B> </I>to begin to fight. <BR> <I>Ex. And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, ... and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim (Genesis 14:8).</I> noun <B>battler.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="battle">
<B>battle</B> (2), transitive verb, <B>-tled,</B> <B>-tling.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Poetic.) to furnish with battlements </DL>
<A NAME="battlearray">
<B>battle array,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the order of troops, war vessels, or planes arranged for battle. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Archaic.) the armor and equipment for battle. </DL>
<A NAME="battleax">
<B>battle-ax</B> or <B>battle-axe, </B>noun, pl. <B>-axes.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>an ax with a broad blade, formerly used as a weapon in battle. The battle-ax was a weapon of medieval times. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Slang.) a woman of formidable appearance and temper, especially one who loudly and vigorously asserts her views. </DL>
<A NAME="battlecruiser">
<B>battle cruiser,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a large, fast warship, having relatively light armor for its size, intended to combine the speed of a cruiser with the firepower of a battleship. </DL>
<A NAME="battlecry">
<B>battle cry,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a shout of soldiers rushing into or engaged in battle. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) a motto or slogan in any contest. <BR> <I>Ex. The battle cry of the campaign for mayor was "Down with Corruption."</I> </DL>
<A NAME="battledore">
<B>battledore, </B>noun, verb, <B>-dored,</B> <B>-doring.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a paddle or small racket used to hit a shuttlecock back and forth in the game of battledore and shuttlecock. <DD><B> 2. </B>the game itself, played by two persons. <DD><I>v.t., v.i. </I> (Rare.) to drive, toss, or fly to and fro. </DL>
<A NAME="battledoreandshuttlecock">
<B>battledore and shuttlecock,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an old game played by two persons, somewhat resembling badminton. </DL>
<A NAME="battledress">
<B>battle dress,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a military uniform for use in combat. </DL>
<A NAME="battlefatigue">
<B>battle fatigue,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a neurosis resulting from sustained emotional tension and fear, suffered typically by combatant soldiers, and marked by extreme exhaustion; combat fatigue. </DL>
<A NAME="battlefield">
<B>battlefield, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the place where a battle is fought or has been fought. </DL>
<A NAME="battlefront">
<B>battlefront, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a place where actual fighting between two armies takes place; front. </DL>
<B>battle group,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) any of the five units of a pentomic army division, usually made up of five companies. </DL>
<A NAME="battlejacket">
<B>battle jacket,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a waist-length woolen jacket forming part of a military uniform. <DD><B> 2. </B>any similar jacket. </DL>
