noun
Uncommon
baton
BA-ton
Baton (noun) means a short stick used by a police officer as a weapon or by a conductor to lead an orchestra. Example: “The conductor raised his baton and the orchestra fell silent.”
noun
1
A short stick used by a police officer as a weapon or by a conductor to lead an orchestra.
"The conductor raised his baton and the orchestra fell silent."
"Officers carried batons for crowd control."
2
A short rod passed from runner to runner in a relay race.
"She dropped the baton just metres from the handoff."
How to use baton
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA stick used for conducting music, for relay races, or as a police weapon.
Common pairings
pass the baton
conductor's baton
police baton
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Word forms
- Plural
- batons
- Third person singular
- batons
- Past tense
- batoned
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The conductor raised his _____ and the orchestra fell silent.
Etymology
From French bâton, "stick."
Synonyms
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Rhymes for baton
See all rhymes for baton →Frequently asked questions
What does “baton” mean?
The word “baton” means a short stick used by a police officer as a weapon or by a conductor to lead an orchestra. In plain terms, a stick used for conducting music, for relay races, or as a police weapon.
How do you pronounce “baton”?
“Baton” is pronounced BA-ton (/bəˈtɑn/ in IPA).
How do you use “baton” in a sentence?
Here is “baton” used in a sentence: “The conductor raised his baton and the orchestra fell silent.”
What is another word for “baton”?
Words with a similar meaning to “baton” include wand, rod, bat and club.
What part of speech is “baton”?
“Baton” is a noun.
Where does the word “baton” come from?
The word “baton” comes from French. From French bâton, "stick.".
Is “baton” a common word?
“Baton” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “baton” have?
“Baton” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a short stick used by a police officer as a weapon or by a conductor to lead an orchestra.
What is the difference between a baton and a truncheon?
A baton and a truncheon both refer to a short stick carried by police as a weapon, and the terms are largely interchangeable in British English, with "truncheon" being the more traditional word. "Baton" is now more widely used internationally and also covers non-police contexts like conducting.
What is the difference between a conductor's baton and a relay baton?
A conductor's baton is a slender stick used to direct an orchestra's tempo and expression, while a relay baton is a short rod physically passed from one runner to the next during a race. Both share the name "baton" because they're short handheld rods, but their uses are entirely different.
What does "pass the baton" mean figuratively?
"Pass the baton" is a figurative expression meaning to hand over responsibility, leadership, or a task to someone else, drawn from the literal handoff in a relay race. It's commonly used outside of sports to describe transitions in roles or generations.
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