Bat Definition and Meaning
By Maham Liaqat & Fiza Rafique — Published on May 25, 2025
Bat is a small, nocturnal, flying mammal with forelimbs adapted as wings. Bats are the only mammals capable of sustained flight. e.g., The cave was home to a large colony of bats.
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Bat Definitions
To blink rapidly; often used in the phrase "bat one's eyes."
She batted her eyes at him flirtatiously.
To hit something with a bat in sports.
He batted the ball right out of the park.
Slang for moving swiftly or suddenly.
She batted across the room to answer the phone.
To use any flat surface to strike something.
He batted the flies away with his cap.
A stout wooden stick; a cudgel.
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A blow, such as one delivered with a stick.
(Baseball) A rounded, often wooden club, wider and heavier at the hitting end and tapering at the handle, used to strike the ball.
A club used in cricket, having a broad, flat-surfaced hitting end and a distinct, narrow handle.
The racket used in various games, such as table tennis or racquets.
Any of various nocturnal flying mammals of the order Chiroptera, having membranous wings that extend from the forelimbs to the hind limbs or tail and anatomical adaptations for echolocation, by which they navigate and hunt prey.
A binge; a spree.
To hit with or as if with a bat.
To cause (a run) to be scored while at bat
Batted the winning run in with a double.
To have (a certain percentage) as a batting average.
(Informal) To discuss or consider at length
Bat an idea around.
To use a bat.
To have a turn at bat.
(Slang) To wander about aimlessly.
To wink or flutter
Bat one's eyelashes.
Any of the flying mammals of the order Chiroptera, usually small and nocturnal, insectivorous or frugivorous.
(derogatory) An old woman.
A club made of wood or aluminium used for striking the ball in sports such as baseball, softball and cricket.
A turn at hitting the ball with a bat in a game.
You've been in for ages. Can I have a bat now?
(two-up) The piece of wood on which the spinner places the coins and then uses for throwing them.
(mining) Shale or bituminous shale.
A sheet of cotton used for filling quilts or comfortables; batting.
A part of a brick with one whole end.
A stroke; a sharp blow.
A stroke of work.
(informal) Rate of motion; speed.
A spree; a jollification.
Manner; rate; condition; state of health.
A rough walking stick.
(obsolete) A packsaddle.
(transitive) To hit with a bat or (figuratively) as if with a bat.
He batted the ball away with a satisfying thwack.
We batted a few ideas around.
(intransitive) To take a turn at hitting a ball with a bat in sports like cricket, baseball and softball, as opposed to fielding.
(intransitive) To strike or swipe as though with a bat.
The cat batted at the toy.
(transitive) To flutter
Bat one's eyelashes
To wink.
To bate or flutter, as a hawk.
To flit quickly from place to place.
I've spent all week batting around the country.
A large stick; a club; specifically, a piece of wood with one end thicker or broader than the other, used in playing baseball, cricket, etc.
In badminton, tennis, and similar games, a racket.
A sheet of cotton used for filling quilts or comfortables; batting.
A part of a brick with one whole end; a brickbat.
Shale or bituminous shale.
A stroke; a sharp blow.
A stroke of work.
Rate of motion; speed.
A spree; a jollification.
Manner; rate; condition; state of health.
One of the Chiroptera, an order of flying mammals, in which the wings are formed by a membrane stretched between the elongated fingers, legs, and tail. The common bats are small and insectivorous. See Chiroptera and Vampire.
Silent bats in drowsy clusters cling.
To strike or hit with a bat or a pole; to cudgel; to beat.
To use a bat, as in a game of baseball; when used with a numerical postmodifier it indicates a baseball player's performance (as a decimal) at bat; as, he batted .270 in 1993 (i.e. he got safe hits in 27 percent of his official turns at bat).
To bate or flutter, as a hawk.
To wink.
Nocturnal mouselike mammal with forelimbs modified to form membranous wings and anatomical adaptations for echolocation by which they navigate
(baseball) a turn batting;
He was at bat when it happened
He got 4 hits in 4 at-bats
A small racket with a long handle used for playing squash
A bat used in playing cricket
A club used for hitting a ball in various games
Strike with, or as if with a baseball bat;
Bat the ball
Wink briefly;
Bat one's eyelids
Have a turn at bat;
Jones bats first, followed by Martinez
Use a bat;
Who's batting?
Beat thoroughly in a competition or fight;
We licked the other team on Sunday!
Any of the flying mammals of the order Chiroptera, with their wings formed from elongated fingers covered by thin skin.
Bats use echolocation to navigate in the dark.
A club used in sports like baseball or cricket to hit a ball.
He swung the bat hard, hoping to hit a home run.
To have a turn batting in a baseball game.
It's your turn to bat next in the lineup.
To strike or beat, usually with a bat or similar object.
He batted the dust out of the rug vigorously.
To move one's eyelids up and down.
The bright light made her bat her eyelids frequently.
An ancient unit of weight used in the Middle East.
Merchants often measured expensive spices in bats.
Bat Snonyms
Cricket bat
A flat wooden blade with a handle used in cricket.
He picked up his cricket bat and walked towards the pitch.
Flutter
To flap wings rapidly, as bats do.
The small bird fluttered its wings beside the window.
Swatter
A tool used for swatting flies and other insects.
She used a swatter to get rid of the annoying mosquitoes.
Blink
To open and close the eyes quickly.
She blinked rapidly to clear her vision.
Baseball bat
A smooth wooden or metal club used in baseball.
The player gripped his baseball bat, ready for the pitch.
Flicker
A rapid light movement or blink.
The candle flame flickered in the wind.
Flap
To move wings or arms back and forth.
The bird flapped its wings and soared into the sky.
Whack
To strike forcefully with an object.
He whacked the ball with all his might.
Paddle
A short, flat tool used for hitting in table tennis.
He picked up the paddle to serve the ball.
Wink
To close and open one eye quickly as a signal.
She winked at him to show she was joking.
Bat Idioms & Phrases
Bat an eye
To show surprise or shock.
She didn't bat an eye when she heard the news.
Bat around
To discuss something casually.
They batted around some ideas for the new marketing campaign.
Bat out of hell
Moving very quickly, as if escaping danger.
He ran like a bat out of hell when he saw the dog.
Blind as a bat
Having very poor eyesight.
Without his glasses, he's blind as a bat.
Right off the bat
Immediately, without delay.
He answered the question right off the bat.
Go to bat for someone
To support or defend someone.
I'll go to bat for you if they blame you unfairly.
Like a bat out of hell
To move extremely fast or hurriedly.
She drove like a bat out of hell to get to the hospital.
Bat one's lashes
To flutter one's eyelashes coquettishly.
She batted her lashes at him across the dinner table.
Bat the idea around
To toss an idea back and forth among a group.
Let's bat the idea around at tomorrow's meeting.
Bat Example Sentences
The bat hung upside down from a tree branch.
He didn't know how to hold the bat correctly.
The bat flew silently through the night sky.
A bat can eat thousands of insects in a single night.
She practiced swinging the bat every evening.
He was as blind as a bat without his contacts.
She picked up the bat and walked to the batter's box.
They found a bat sleeping in their attic.
A bat entered the room, causing a commotion.
The sight of a bat can be frightening to some people.
He was surprised by the weight of the baseball bat.
He taught her how to clean the bat after the game.
Common Curiosities
How do we divide bat into syllables?
Bat is divided into syllables as follows: bat.
Why is it called bat?
Bat is derived from the Old English word "bacga," related to the Old Scandinavian word "leðrblaka," meaning "leather flapper," reflecting the bat's flying nature and wing structure.
How is bat used in a sentence?
Bat can refer to both an animal and a sports implement, e.g., The bat flew out of the cave at dusk.
How many syllables are in bat?
Bat has one syllable.
What is the pronunciation of bat?
Bat is pronounced as /bæt/.
What is the verb form of bat?
As a verb, "bat" can mean to hit or blink, e.g., "He batted the ball out of the park."
What part of speech is bat?
"Bat" can be a noun (referring to the animal or a sports tool) or a verb (meaning to hit or blink).
What is a stressed syllable in bat?
The single syllable in "bat" is stressed: bat.
What is another term for bat?
Another term for bat (the animal) is "chiropteran."
What is the singular form of bat?
The singular form is "bat."
Is bat an adverb?
No, bat is not an adverb.
Is the word bat imperative?
Bat can be used as an imperative verb in commands, e.g., "Bat now!"
Is the word bat a gerund?
When used as a verb, "batting" can be a gerund, e.g., "Batting is fun."
What is the root word of bat?
The root word of "bat" in the context of the animal is from the Old English "bacga."
What is the first form of bat?
The first form of "bat" as a verb is "bat," e.g., "to bat a ball."
Is the word “bat” a direct object or an indirect object?
In sentences like "He swung the bat," bat is a direct object.
Which determiner is used with bat?
Common determiners with "bat" include "a," "an," and "the," e.g., "a bat," "the bat."
Is bat an abstract noun?
No, bat is a concrete noun, as it refers to a tangible object or creature.
Is bat a negative or positive word?
The word "bat" is neutral; its connotation depends on the context.
Is the bat term a metaphor?
The term "bat" can be used metaphorically in phrases like "blind as a bat."
Which vowel is used before bat?
Commonly "a" or "the" is used before "bat."
Which preposition is used with bat?
Common prepositions used with "bat" include "with" and "like," e.g., "with a bat," "blind as a bat."
Which conjunction is used with bat?
Common conjunctions used with "bat" depend on the sentence, e.g., "and," "but."
Which article is used with bat?
Both "a" and "the" are used, depending on whether the bat being referred to is already known to the listener or not.
What is the opposite of bat?
The opposite of bat (the tool) could be considered "catch" or "field" in sports contexts.
Is bat a noun or adjective?
Bat is primarily a noun, but can function as a verb.
What is the second form of bat?
The second form of "bat" as a verb is "batted," e.g., "He batted the ball yesterday."
What is the third form of bat?
The third form of "bat" as a verb is also "batted," used in perfect tenses, e.g., "He has batted well this season."
What is the plural form of bat?
The plural form is "bats."
Is bat a vowel or consonant?
The word "bat" starts with the consonant "b."
Is bat a countable noun?
Yes, bat is a countable noun (e.g., one bat, two bats).
Is bat a collective noun?
No, bat is not typically used as a collective noun.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
