bat
bat
Bat (noun) means a small, flying, mostly nocturnal mammal with wings made of skin stretched between its fingers. Example: “A bat flitted past the lamp as we sat in the garden.”
noun
1
A small, flying, mostly nocturnal mammal with wings made of skin stretched between its fingers.
"A bat flitted past the lamp as we sat in the garden."
"Many bats sleep upside down in the roof of the old barn."
"Bats swooped out of the cave at dusk to hunt insects."
2
A wooden or metal club used to hit the ball in sports such as baseball and cricket.
"She bought a lighter bat so her son could swing it more easily."
"The cricket bat was cracked after years of use in the school team."
"He gripped the bat tightly as the pitcher wound up."
verb
1
To take a turn hitting the ball in games like cricket or baseball.
"Who wants to bat first, and who would rather field?"
"He bats at number three because he stays calm under pressure."
"Our team bats first this innings."
2
To strike or swipe at something, often playfully or lightly.
"The cat batted a ball of wool across the kitchen floor."
"My little brother batted at the balloon until it floated out of reach."
"The kitten batted at the dangling string."
How to use bat
Learner’s notes
Common mistake
The animal and the sports equipment are two completely unrelated words that just happen to be spelled the same.
Common pairings
bat and ball
blind as a bat
go to bat for someone
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Word forms
- Plural
- bats
- Third person singular
- bats
- Past tense
- batted
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
A _____ flitted past the lamp as we sat in the garden.
Etymology
The flying-mammal sense comes from a dialect word related to Middle English "bakke"; the sporting-equipment sense is unrelated, from Old French "batte," meaning a club or beater.
Synonyms
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Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “bat” mean?
The word “bat” means a small, flying, mostly nocturnal mammal with wings made of skin stretched between its fingers.
How do you pronounce “bat”?
“Bat” is pronounced bat (/bæt/ in IPA).
How do you use “bat” in a sentence?
Here is “bat” used in a sentence: “Bats swooped out of the cave at dusk to hunt insects.”
What part of speech is “bat”?
Depending on how it is used, “bat” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “bat” come from?
The word “bat” comes from Old French. The flying-mammal sense comes from a dialect word related to Middle English "bakke"; the sporting-equipment sense is unrelated, from Old French "batte," meaning a club or beater.
Is “bat” a common word?
“Bat” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “bat” have?
“Bat” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small, flying, mostly nocturnal mammal with wings made of skin stretched between its fingers.
What is the difference between a 'bat' and a 'club' in sports?
In sports like baseball and cricket, a "bat" is the specific wooden or metal implement used to hit the ball, while "club" is the general word for a stick used to strike and is standard in golf. You hit a ball with a bat but play golf with a club.
What is the difference between a 'bat' and a 'racket'?
A bat is a solid club used to hit a ball in baseball or cricket, while a racket has a frame strung with cord and is used in tennis or badminton. Table tennis uses a small solid paddle that is also called a bat in British English.
Does the animal 'bat' and the sports 'bat' share a meaning?
No, they are unrelated words that happen to be spelled and pronounced the same. One is a small flying nocturnal mammal, and the other is a club for hitting a ball, so only context shows which is meant.
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