Batten, bat′n, n. a piece of board: a ledge, clamp: in ships, a strip of wood used to fasten down the hatches.—n. Bat′tening, battens forming a structure. [Same as Baton.]
Batter, bat′er, v.t. to beat with successive blows: to wear with beating or by use: to attack with artillery.—n. ingredients beaten along with some liquid into a paste: paste for sticking.—ns. Bat′tering-charge, the full charge of powder for a cannon; Bat′tering-ram, an ancient engine for battering down walls, consisting of a large beam with an iron head like that of a ram. [O. Fr. batre (Fr. battre), from the root of Bat.]
Batter, bat′ėr, n. the inclination of a wall from the perpendicular.—v.i. to slope backward from the perpendicular. [Perh. from Fr. battre, to beat down.]
Battery, bat′ėr-i, n. (Shak.) a wound: a number of cannon with their equipment: the place on which cannon are mounted: the men and horses attending one battery, constituting the unit in the artillery: an instrument used in electric and galvanic experiments: (law) an assault by beating or wounding: apparatus for preparing or serving meals.—Cross batteries, two batteries commanding the same spot from different directions; Floating battery (see Float); Masked battery, a battery in action out of the enemy's view; To change one's battery, to alter the direction of attacking.
Battle, bat′l, n. a contest between opposing armies: a fight or encounter: (arch.) a body of troops in battle array, esp. in phrase 'main battle.'—v.i. to contend in fight: to maintain, champion (with against, with).—ns. Bat′tle-axe, -ax, a kind of axe once used in battle; Bat′tle-cry, a war-shout; Bat′tlefield, the place on which a battle is fought; Bat′tle-piece, a passage, or a painting, describing a battle.—adj. Bat′tle-scarred, scarred in battle.—ns. Bat′tleship, a war-ship of the first class; Pitched′-bat′tle, a battle fought on chosen ground.—Battle royal, a general mêlée—Half the battle, said of anything which ensures success.—Line of battle, troops in array for battle; Line-of-battle ship, a ship strong enough to form one of the line.—To join, do battle, to fight. [Fr. bataille—battre, to beat. See Batter.]
Battle, bat′l, adj. (dial.) nourishing.—v.t. (obs.) to feed. [Most prob. from Ice. bati, improvement. See Batten.]
Battledoor, Battledore, bat′l-dōr, n. a light bat for striking a ball or shuttlecock.—Not to know a B from a battledoor, to be thoroughly ignorant. [Sp. batidor, a beater, a washing-beetle; but this is doubtful.]
Battlement, bat′l-ment, n. a wall or parapet on the top of a building with openings or embrasures, originally used only on fortifications: the towering roof of heaven,—adj. Bat′tlemented, fortified with battlements—also pa.p. Bat′tled (poet.).
Battology, bat-ol′o-ji, n. repetition in speech or writing.—adj. Battolog′ical. [Gr. battos, a person who repeated himself, and legein, to speak.]
Battue, bat-tōō′, n. a method of hunting in which the woods are beaten and the game driven from cover into some place for the convenience of the shooters: any indiscriminate slaughter. [Fr.—battre, to beat.]