bat
♦ bat /b'æt/ (bats batting batted)
1 [N-COUNT]
A bat is a specially shaped piece of wood that is used for hitting the ball in baseball, softball, cricket, rounders, or table tennis.
...a baseball bat.
2 [VERB] V
When you bat, you have a turn at hitting the ball with a bat in baseball, softball, cricket, or rounders.
Australia, put in to bat, made a cautious start.
● batting [N-UNCOUNT] oft N n, the N
...his batting average...
He's likely to open the batting.
3 [N-COUNT]
A bat is a small flying animal that looks like a mouse with wings made of skin. Bats are active at night.
4
see also old bat
5 [PHRASE] V inflects
When something surprising or shocking happens, if someone doesn't bat an eyelid in British English, or doesn't bat an eye in American English, they remain calm and do not show any reaction.
6 [PHRASE] PHR after v
If someone does something off their own bat, they do it without anyone else suggesting it. (BRIT)
Whatever she did she did off her own bat. Whatever she did was nothing to do with me.
7 [PHRASE] usu PHR after v
If something happens right off the bat, it happens immediately. (AM)
He learned right off the bat that you can't count on anything in this business.old bat (old bats)
[N-COUNT] usu sing
If someone refers to an old person, especially an old woman, as an old bat, they think that person is silly, annoying, or unpleasant. (INFORMAL, OFFENSIVE)vam|pire bat (vampire bats)
[N-COUNT]
A vampire bat is a bat from South America which feeds by sucking the blood of other animals.
1 [N-COUNT]
A bat is a specially shaped piece of wood that is used for hitting the ball in baseball, softball, cricket, rounders, or table tennis.
...a baseball bat.
2 [VERB] V
When you bat, you have a turn at hitting the ball with a bat in baseball, softball, cricket, or rounders.
Australia, put in to bat, made a cautious start.
● batting [N-UNCOUNT] oft N n, the N
...his batting average...
He's likely to open the batting.
3 [N-COUNT]
A bat is a small flying animal that looks like a mouse with wings made of skin. Bats are active at night.
4
see also old bat
5 [PHRASE] V inflects
When something surprising or shocking happens, if someone doesn't bat an eyelid in British English, or doesn't bat an eye in American English, they remain calm and do not show any reaction.
6 [PHRASE] PHR after v
If someone does something off their own bat, they do it without anyone else suggesting it. (BRIT)
Whatever she did she did off her own bat. Whatever she did was nothing to do with me.
7 [PHRASE] usu PHR after v
If something happens right off the bat, it happens immediately. (AM)
He learned right off the bat that you can't count on anything in this business.old bat (old bats)
[N-COUNT] usu sing
If someone refers to an old person, especially an old woman, as an old bat, they think that person is silly, annoying, or unpleasant. (INFORMAL, OFFENSIVE)vam|pire bat (vampire bats)
[N-COUNT]
A vampire bat is a bat from South America which feeds by sucking the blood of other animals.