bat
- Top 5000
Sense 1
- noun
- A1
A small animal with wings that flies at night and rests hanging upside down.
Bats hung upside down from the roof of the cave.
At dusk a bat flew back and forth above the garden.
Bats use sound, not their eyes, to find insects in darkness.
A single bat had got into the attic through a broken tile.
Common collocations: a colony of bats · fruit bat · bats hang upside down · blind as a bat
Part of: Animals
Sense 2
- noun
- A2
A long piece of wood or other hard material used for hitting the ball in some games.
He gripped the bat tightly and waited for the next ball.
The old wooden bat cracked along the handle and had to go.
She keeps her bat and gloves in a bag by the door.
Common collocations: a baseball bat · a cricket bat · swing the bat · hold the bat
Part of: Sport, Games and hobbies
Sense 3 · less common
- verb
- B1
To hit a ball with a bat, or to take your turn at hitting in a game.
He batted the ball high over the heads of the fielders.
Our team bats first, so get your gloves ready now.
She batted well all afternoon and scored most of the runs.
Common collocations: bat first · bat the ball · bat well
Part of: Sport
Forms
- past
- batted
- plural
- bats
- third_person
- bats
- past_participle
- batted
- present_participle
- batting