bat
/bæt/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈæt] /bæt/ (ame, ipa) · [bˈæt] /ˈbat/ (ame, mw)
bat — noun
- batsingular
- batsplural
1. A long-handled implement made from wood, metal, or other hard material, used for
A long-handled implement made from wood, metal, or other hard material, used for striking a ball — a baseball bat or cricket bat is swung with both hands, while a smaller table-tennis paddle is held in one hand.
Rin gripped her wooden bat and walked toward home plate, ready for her first swing.
collocation: grip a bat / swing a bat
James gripped the bat tightly and swung as hard as he could at the fastball.
collocation: swing a bat
Coach Obi asked the team to bring cricket bats to Thursday's practice for new drills.
After breaking his old bat, Asher saved up for months to buy a new maple-wood one.
用法筆記
One of the two most common meanings of 'bat'. The other meaning (the flying animal) is a different word historically — they are homonyms, not two senses of the same word.
常見錯誤
2. A small mammal that can fly using thin skin stretched between its long finger bo
A small mammal that can fly using thin skin stretched between its long finger bones, usually active at night and sleeping during the day.
As the sun went down, Sayaka watched a bat fly out of the cave to hunt for insects.
collocation: a bat flies / a bat hunts
The children watched bats hanging upside down from the ceiling of the old barn.
collocation: bats hang upside down
Elena saw a bat catch a moth and learned that bats use sound to hunt in the dark.
Every evening at dusk, a large colony of bats emerges from the cave near the river.
用法筆記
The animal 'bat' comes from Old Norse, while the sports-equipment 'bat' comes from Old English. They are unrelated words that happen to share the same spelling and pronunciation.
3. A player's single opportunity to stand at the plate or crease and try to strike
A player's single opportunity to stand at the plate or crease and try to strike the ball during a game of baseball or cricket.
With two runners on base, the batter stepped up for his first turn as the crowd cheered.
In the seventh inning with the score tied, our team scored five runs during that at-bat.
collocation: at-bat (hyphenated noun form)
Zola waited nervously for her first bat, gripping the handle with sweaty hands.
Constanza finished the game with four at-bats and two hits, earning the player-of-the-match award.
用法筆記
Most commonly used in baseball contexts. In cricket, the equivalent phrase is 'innings' rather than 'at bat', though 'bat' as a countable noun for a turn is understood.
bat — verb
- batpresent simple I / you / we / they
- bats3rd person singular
- batting-ing form
- battedpast simple
1. To swing a bat and strike a ball with it, or to take your turn as a hitter in a
To swing a bat and strike a ball with it, or to take your turn as a hitter in a game such as baseball or cricket.
Asher batted the ball deep into left field and sprinted toward first base.
transitive: bat + object (ball)
Lara batted three times in the match but only hit the ball once for a simple catch.
intransitive: bat + (adverbial of frequency)
With two outs and a runner on third, Rodriguez will bat for the visiting team.
Shirin batted left-handed but threw with her right arm, which confused the opposing players.
用法筆記
In baseball, 'bat' can be used with no object (the batter bats) or with the ball as object (the batter bats the ball). The past tense is 'batted'.
2. To quickly hit something small away or out of the way using your hand, often wit
To quickly hit something small away or out of the way using your hand, often without thinking about it much.
Shirin batted the mosquito away from her arm before it could land on her skin.
bat + object + away
The child batted at the soap bubbles floating past, trying to pop them with his fingers.
bat at + object
Amira batted the crumpled paper off her desk while looking for her pen.
The cat batted at the dangling string for several minutes before losing interest.
用法筆記
Used for quick, casual hits with an open hand. For a harder, deliberate strike with a closed hand, use 'swat' or 'slap' instead.
3. To blink rapidly and deliberately, often in a flirtatious, charming, or playful
To blink rapidly and deliberately, often in a flirtatious, charming, or playful way to get someone's attention or show friendliness.
James batted his eyelashes at the server and asked sweetly for an extra napkin.
bat + possessive + eyelashes (fixed collocation)
Aiko batted her eyes at the photographer and gave him a wide, innocent smile.
bat one's eyes — alternative fixed collocation
Noa batted his eyelashes playfully when his grandmother asked if he wanted another cookie.
The toddler batted her big eyes at her dad until he finally gave her the toy she wanted.
文法句型
bat + possessive + eyelashes
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrases 'bat one's eyelashes' or 'bat one's eyes'. Never used without an object (you cannot say 'she batted'). Always describes deliberate, theatrical blinking, not a nervous tic.