Baton Definition
bə-tŏn, bă-, bătn
batons
noun
batons
A slender wooden stick or rod used by a conductor to direct an orchestra, band, or other musical group.
American Heritage
A staff serving as a symbol of office.
Webster's New World
A hollow metal rod with a heavy rubber tip or tips that is wielded and twirled by a drum major or drum majorette.
American Heritage
A short, narrow bend: in England, a baton placed diagonally right to left (as seen by the viewer) and cut short at both ends signifies bastardy.
Webster's New World
A short staff carried by certain public officials as a symbol of office.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
- billy-club
- billystick
- nightstick
- truncheon
- billy
- wand
- crosier
- sonometer
- paterissa
- crutch-stick
- cross-staff
- sceptre
- scepter
- cudgel
- bourdon
verb
To strike with a baton.
Wiktionary
Other Word Forms of Baton
Noun
Singular:
baton
Plural:
batons, btonsOrigin of Baton
French bâton from Old French baston stick from Vulgar Latin bastō *bastōn-
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
-
From French bâton.
From Wiktionary
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