bat
bat1 S3 /bæt/ 
noun [countable]
Origin: back 'bat' (14-16 centuries), probably from a Scandinavian language.
Origin: batt1. a small animal like a mouse with wings that flies around at night ⇨ fruit bat
2.
a. a long wooden stick with a special shape that is used in some sports and games:
a baseball bat
a cricket bat
b. British English a round flat piece of wood with a handle, used to hit a ball in table tennis
SYN paddle American English
3. be at bat to be the person who is trying to hit the ball in a game of baseball
4. do something off your own bat British English informal to do something without being told to do it:
She went to see a solicitor off her own bat.
5. do something right off the bat American English informal to do something immediately:
He said yes right off the bat.
6. like a bat out of hell informal very fast:
I drove like a bat out of hell to the hospital.
7. old bat spoken an unpleasant old woman
⇨ as blind as a bat at blind1(1c)
bat2 verb (past tense and past participle batted, present participle batting)
Origin: Probably from bate 'to beat the wings' (13-20 centuries), from Old French batre 'to hit'1. [intransitive and transitive] to hit the ball with a bat in cricket or baseball
2. not bat an eye/eyelid informal to not seem to be shocked, surprised, or embarrassed:
They started talking about sex, but she didn’t bat an eyelid.
3. bat your eyes/eyelashes if a woman bats her eyes, she opens and closes them several times quickly, in order to look attractive to men
4. go to bat for somebody American English informal to help and support someone
5. be batting a thousand American English informal to be very successful:
She’s been batting a thousand since she got that job.
bat something ↔ around phrasal verb informal
to discuss various ideas or suggestions
| I |
noun [countable] Sense 1,5-7
Date: 1500-1600Origin: back 'bat' (14-16 centuries), probably from a Scandinavian language.
Sense 2-4
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: batt
2.
a. a long wooden stick with a special shape that is used in some sports and games:
b. British English a round flat piece of wood with a handle, used to hit a ball in table tennis
SYN paddle American English
3. be at bat to be the person who is trying to hit the ball in a game of baseball
4. do something off your own bat British English informal to do something without being told to do it:
5. do something right off the bat American English informal to do something immediately:
6. like a bat out of hell informal very fast:
7. old bat spoken an unpleasant old woman
⇨ as blind as a bat at blind1(1c)
| II |
verb (past tense and past participle batted, present participle batting) Sense 2-3
Date: 1800-1900Origin: Probably from bate 'to beat the wings' (13-20 centuries), from Old French batre 'to hit'
2. not bat an eye/eyelid informal to not seem to be shocked, surprised, or embarrassed:
3. bat your eyes/eyelashes if a woman bats her eyes, she opens and closes them several times quickly, in order to look attractive to men
4. go to bat for somebody American English informal to help and support someone
5. be batting a thousand American English informal to be very successful:
bat something ↔ around phrasal verb informal
to discuss various ideas or suggestions