noun
battery
BAT-ree
noun
1
A device that stores and supplies electrical power, made of one or more cells.
"The remote control needs new batteries."
2
A legal term for unlawfully touching or striking another person.
"He was charged with assault and battery after the bar fight."
3
A group of similar things, especially artillery guns, arranged or used together.
"The soldiers set up a battery of guns on the ridge."
"She underwent a battery of medical tests."
How to Use Battery
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost commonly the power source in a device; in law, the crime of physically attacking someone; more generally, a coordinated set or series of things.
Common mistake
In law, "assault" is the threat of violence and "battery" is the actual physical contact — they're often charged together but mean different things.
Common pairings
assault and battery
battery life
a battery of tests
rechargeable battery
Word Forms
batteries plural
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He was charged with assault and _____ after the bar fight.
Etymology
From French batterie, "a beating," from Latin battuo, "to beat." Benjamin Franklin later borrowed the military "battery" (a row of guns) as the name for a connected row of electrical cells, and the name stuck.