• BAT
n. 1. c1340 obs. – a lump, a piece, a bit
n. 2. a1400 – a firm blow as with a staff or club; a stroke
n. 3. 1782 Eng. dial. – a log for burning
n. 4. 1793 Eng. dial. – the long handle or staff of a scythe
n. 5. 1848 US sl. – a drunken spree
n. 6. 1863 Eng. dial. – a heavy laced boot, with hobnails
n. 7. 1873 Eng. dial. – the stroke of a clock
n. 8. 1882 N. Ireland – a moth
n. 9. 1886 Eng. dial. – a cudgel, a staff; a thick walking-stick
n. 10. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – a child’s shoe, made without a welt
n. 11. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – a fragment, a remnant
n. 12. Bk1898 Sc. – a river-island
n. 13. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – dark specks which appear floating before the eyes when the sight is impaired
n. 14. 19C Brit. & US sl. – a low prostitute; one who moves about at night
n. 15. Bk1904 Amer. students’ sl. – a dollar
n. 16. Bk1904 Amer. students’ sl. – a loose woman
n. 17. 1906 sl. – an unpleasant or despicable female
n. 18. Bk1913-17 Amer. dial. – a disorderly or dissolute person
n. 19. Bk1913-17 Amer. dial. – a foolish, thoughtless person
n. 20. Bk1913-17 Amer. dial. – a girl
n. 21. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – an ugly old man
n. 22. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – a short time, a moment
n. 23. 1970 Amer. dial. – a pool or billiards cue
n. 24. 20C US sl. – an attractive young woman
n. 25. 20C US sl. – a drunkard
n. 26. E20 US sl. – the penis, esp. the erect penis
vb. 1. c1440 – to cudgel, to thrash, to beat, to hit, to strike
vb. 2. 1845 Amer. dial. – to wink; to shut the eyes
vb. 3. 1867 Eng. dial. – to triumph, to exult
vb. 4. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – to walk at a quick pace
vb. 5. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – of persons: to beat the arms across the breast for the sake of warmth
vb. 6. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – of a bird: to beat the wings
vb. 7. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – to press down, to flatten, to compress
vb. 8. L19 Amer. dial. – to masturbate
vb. 9. Bk1913-17 Amer. dial. – to open and close
• THE BAT
n. 1892 – the colloquial speech or language of a foreign country
• BATA
n. 1972 Hawaii – a child, boy or girl
• BATABLE
adj. 1453 obs. – debatable, disputed
• BAT ABOUT
vb. 1931 Amer. dial. – to move or go about erratically
• BAT ALONG
vb. 1911 Amer. dial. – to move or go about erratically
• BATAND
adj. 1330 obs. – hastening, in haste
• BATARDIER
n. 1725 obs. – a plantation of young grafted trees intended to be transplanted into gardens
• BAT A STICKY WICKET
vb. 20C Brit. sl. – to be at or have a disadvantage
• BATAUNTLY
adv. 1393 obs. – hastily, pressingly, eagerly
• BAT-BLIND
adj. 1834 – blind as a bat in the sunlight
• BAT CAVER
n. 20C teen & high school sl. – a person dressed in black
• BATCH
n. 1. 1440 obs. – the process of baking
n. 2. 1648 obs. – bread
n. 3. 1785 Sc. & Eng. dial. – of persons: a set, a clique, a family
n. 4. 1873 Eng. dial. – a sandbank or small hill lying within or near a river
n. 5. 1884 Eng. dial. – a river or stream; the valley through which a stream flows
n. 6. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – the palm of the hand
n. 7. Bk1898 Sc. & Eng. dial. – a bout or turn of drinking, card-playing, gossip, etc.
n. 8. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – a pack of cards
n. 9. M19 US colloq. – a bachelor
n. 10. Bk1914 criminals’ sl. – a number; a quantity; a lot; a great many
• BATCHED UP
adj. 1970 Amer. dial. – said of a man and woman who are not married but live together as if they were
• BATCHELDER
n. 1725 Amer. dial. – a bachelor
• BATCHELOR’S FARE
n. L18 sl. – bread and cheese and kisses
• BATCHELOR’S SON
n. L17 sl. – an illegitimate child
• BATCHIE
n. Bk1898 Sc. – a baker
• BATCHING
n. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – an unfledged bird
• BATCH UP
vb. 1966 Amer. dial. – to mend hastily or unskilfully
• BATCHY
n. 1. 1996 Guyana – a room where a man lives alone or brings women for sex
n. 2. 2003 Trinidad and Tobago – a small house occupied by a single man
• BATCRAP
n. 1940s US sl. – lies, nonsense, rubbish
• BATE
n. 1. a1300 obs. exc. Eng. dial. – contention, strife, discord, argument
n. 2. c1450 obs. exc. N. Eng. dial. – deduction, diminution, abatement, cessation
n. 3. 1664 obs. exc. N. Eng. dial. – the grain of wood or stone
n. 4. 1686 obs. – depression, lowering
n. 5. 1798 obs. – that which is deducted or remains over
n. 6. 1857 sl. – a fit of anger or bad temper; a rage; a tantrum
n. 7. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – a habit, custom
vb. 1. a1300 obs. exc. Eng. dial. – to contend, to quarrel, to fight, to strive with blows or arguments
vb. 2. c1300 obs. – to beat down or away; to put an end to
vb. 3. c1325 obs. – to come to an end, to cease
vb. 4. c1380 – to lower, to let down; to cast down, to humble, to depress, to deject
vb. 5. c1460 obs. – to lower in amount, weight, estimation, to reduce
vb. 6. a1541 obs. exc. Eng. dial. – to decrease in amount, weight, estimation; to abate, to diminish, to fall off in quantity
vb. 7. 1592 obs. – to flutter, to struggle; to be restless or impatient
vb. 8. 1608 obs. – to become dejected, to be depressed
vb. 9. a1611 obs. – to omit, to leave out of count, to except
vb. 10. 1633 obs. – to be deficient in
vb. 11. 1805 Sc. & Eng. dial. – to make a reduction in price, to lower a bargain; to cause to reduce
vb. 12. 1869 Eng. dial. – to reduce a workman’s wages; esp. to make deduction on account of careless work, etc.
vb. 13. 1885 Eng. dial. – of the moon: to wane
vb. 14. 1887 Eng. dial. – in knitting: to decrease the number of stitches, to narrow
vb. 15. 1939 Amer. dial. – of the wind: to diminish; to fall off
• BATE AN ACE
vb. a1600 – to abate a jot or tittle; to make the slightest abatement
• BATED
adj. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – of fish: in good condition, plump
• BATE DOWN
vb. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – to haggle, to force the seller to lower his price
• BATEFUL
adj. a1588 obs. – full of strife, quarrelsome, contentious
• BATELESS
adj. 1593 obs. – that cannot be ‘bated’ or blunted; unalterably keen
• BATELLE
n. 1330 obs. – a small boat, a skiff
• BATEMENT
n. 1677 arch. – reduction, lessening, diminution
• BATER
n. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – a lane leading to a high road
• BATES
n. 1920s US criminals’ sl. – a potential victim, a confidence man’s dupe
• BATEY
adj. 1921 Brit. sl. – angry
n. L19 sl. – a temper, a tantrum
• BAT-EYE
n. 1954 Amer. dial. – a bruise near the eye
• BAT-EYED
adj. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – near-sighted
• BAT-FOWLER
n. 1602 sl. obs. – a swindler, a sharper who makes victims of the simple or credulous
• BAT-FOWLING
n. 1602 sl. obs. – swindling, victimizing the simple
• BATFUL
adj. 1549 obs. – of pasture-land: good for the sustenance of flocks and herds; feeding, fattening
• BATH
n. 1. 864 obs. – a spring of water (chiefly hot or impregnated with minerals) suitable for bathing
n. 2. c885 obs. – the immersion or washing of baptism
n. 3. 971 obs. – the water of baptism
n. 4. 1804 Eng. dial. – a sow
n. 5. 2000 UK sl. – a girl
vb. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – to rub liniment or lotion upon the body
• BATH BUN
n. 1. 1988 UK rhyming sl. – the sun
n. 2. Bk2007 UK rhyming sl. – a son
• BATH-DODGER
n. Bk2007 UK sl. – an unwashed or habitually dirty person
• BATHE
vb. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – to wither
• BATHEOS
n. 1995 S. Afr. sl. – shoes
• BATHER
n. 1636 obs. – a bath-keeper, or attendant at a bath
vb. 1. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – to struggle; to go hither and thither in search of anything; to fuss about
vb. 2. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – to beat down; to spread abroad
vb. 3. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – to scrape together
vb. 4. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – of birds: to take a dust bath
• BATHERS
n. 1768 Sc. – low raillery
• BAT HIDE
n. L19 US sl. – paper money, esp. a $1 bill
• BATH OF BIRTH
n. 19C literary euphemism – the vagina
• BATH OF BLOOD
n. 1882 – carnage
• BATHONIAN
adj. 1766 – pert. to the city of Bath
• BATHOS
n. 1. 1727 – ludicrous descent from the elevated to the commonplace in writing or speech; anti-climax
n. 2. 1758 – depth; lowest phase, bottom
n. 3. 1814 – a ‘come-down’ in one’s career
n. 4. 1995 S. Afr. sl. – shoes
• BAT-HOUSE
adj. 20C sl. – crazy, mad, insane
n. 1. 20C Aust. sl. – (as ‘bat house’) a brothel
n. 2. 1900s US tramps’ sl. – (as ‘bat house’) a psychiatric institution
• BATHROOM STATIONERY
n. Bk1944 services’ sl. – a roll of toilet paper
• BATHSHEBA
n. 1970s US homosexual sl. – one who frequents homosexual bath-houses
• BATH TUB
n. Bk1944 services’ sl. – a motorcycle sidecar
• BATHTUB GIN
n. 1974 US sl. – homemade alcohol, perhaps approximating gin
• BATHTUB HOOCH
n. 1930s US sl. – illicitly distilled alcohol, esp. in the Prohibition era
• BATHTUB SCUM
n. 1980s US students’ sl. – an unpleasant person
• BATHTUB SLOP
n. 1930s US sl. – illicitly distilled alcohol, esp. in the Prohibition era
• BATHTUB SPEED
n. 1998 US drug culture sl. – methcathinone
• BATHUKOLPIAN
adj. 1825 rare – deep-bosomed
• BATHUKOLPIC
adj. 1872 – deep-bosomed
• THE BATH WITH A PATH
n. 1967 Amer. dial. – an outside toilet building
• BATHY
adj. 1. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – of food: moist, sodden
adj. 2. 1930s US sl. – damp, moist
• BATHYBIAL
adj. 1876 – belonging to or living in the deepest parts of the sea
• BATHYCOLPIAN
adj. 1825 rare – deep-bosomed, big-breasted
• BATI
n. 1935 Jamaica sl. – the buttocks
• BATIE
adj. Bk1911 Sc. – round; plump
n. 1. Bk1911 Sc. – a hare
n. 2. Bk1911 Sc. – a large dog of any species
n. 3. Bk1911 Sc. – term of contempt for a man
► BATIE-BUM n. a lazy or inactive fellow; an idler; a simpleton, a fool; a useless bungler → 1586 Sc. obs., derogatory
• BATIE-BUMMIL
n. a1550 Sc. obs. – an inactive helpless fellow; a useless bungler; a simpleton; a fool
• BATI-MAN
n. 1955 Jamaica – a homosexual
• BATING
n. 1. 1851 Eng. dial. – haggling, beating down in price
n. 2. 1875 Eng. dial. – a falling off, diminution
prep. 1568 – abating, leaving out of account, excepting, except
• BATLING
n. 1864 Eng. dial. rare – a small stick, a fagot
• BAT-MAKER
n. 1849 Eng. dial. – one who makes children’s shoes
• BATMAN
n. 1. 1809 – a man in charge of a bat-horse and its load; a military servant of a cavalry officer
n. 2. 1996 UK sl. – a variety of LSD identified by the printed bat-logo
n. 3. 2002 UK sl. – a variety of MDMA, the recreational drug best known as ecstasy, identified by the embossed Batman motif
n. 4. 2002 UK sl. – cocaine
n. 5. 2002 UK sl. – heroin
• BAT-MINDED
adj. 1869 – mentally blind
• BAT-MOUSE
n. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – a bat
• BAT NAKED
adj. 1966 Amer. dial. – completely naked
• BAT OF AN EYE
n. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – a short time; a moment
• BATON
n. 1. 1548 obs. – a staff or stick used as a weapon, sometimes also of iron, or iron-tipped; a club, a cudgel, or truncheon
n. 2. 1801 – a staff or stick generally; a walking-stick
vb. c1580 – to strike with a baton or truncheon; formerly, to cudgel
• BAT ONE’S EYES LIKE A FROG N A HAILSTORM
vb. 1965 Amer. dial. – to blink often
• BAT ONE’S EYES LIKE A TOAD N A HAILSTORM
vb. 1965 Amer. dial. – to blink often
• BAT ONE’S MOUTH
vb. 1920s US sl. – to talk
• BATOON
n. 1. a1625 arch. – a stout staff or stick used as a weapon; a cudgel, a club, a truncheon
n. 2. 1806 Amer. dial. – a pool or billiards cue
vb. 1683 arch. – to beat or strike with a ‘batoon’; to thrash with a stick, to cudgel
• BAT OUT
vb. 1977 US sl. – on the railways, to switch cars quickly and expertly
• BAT PAD
n. 1989 Aust. sl. – in cricket: a fielder positioned close to the facing bat
• BATPHONE
n. 1. 1977 UK sl. – a police radio; the police personal radio system
n. 2. 1990s UK sl. – a walkie-talkie
n. 3. 1990s UK sl. – a mobile telephone
• BATRACHOMYOMACHY
n. Bk1888 – the battle of the frogs and mice, a mock heroic poem, possibly of the Homeric age
• BATRACHOPHAGOUS
adj. 1825 – frog-eating
• BATRACHOPHOBIA
n. 1863 – the fear of or morbid aversion to frogs, toads, and newts
• BAT ROUND
vb. 1907 Amer. dial. – to move or go about erratically
• BATS
adj. 1. 1911 UK sl. – crazy, very eccentric, mad to any degree
adj. 2. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – drunk
n. 1. 1788 Eng. dial. – a beating
n. 2. 1790 Eng. dial. obs. – cricket
n. 3. M19 sl. – a pair of bad boots
n. 4. 1962 UK sl. – a deck-landing officer on an aircraft carrier
• BAT’S BALLS
n. 1960s US sl. – the very best, the ultimate
• BATSELBOOM
n. 1968 Amer. dial. – a somersault
• BATSH
n. 2004 UK sl. – in caving and pot-holing: bat excreta
• BATSHIT
adj. 1970 US sl. – crazy, out of control, angry
n. 1. 1940s US sl. – lies, nonsense, rubbish
n. 2. 1960s sl. – an insane person
vb. 1. 1960s US sl. – to gossip, to chatter inconsequentially
vb. 2. 1960s US sl. – to tell lies; to tease; to confuse with false information
• BATSO
adj. 1970s US sl. – crazy, eccentric
• BATSOME
adj. 1555 obs. rare – of pasture-land: good for the sustenance of flocks and herds; feeding, fattening
• BAT SOMEONE’S EAR
vb. 1940s US sl. – to pester, to nag
• BATT
n. 1878 US sl. – a spree or frolic
• BATTABLE
adj. 1570-87 obs. – of pasture-land: good for the sustenance of flocks and herds; feeding, fattening
• BATTAILANT
adj. 1591 obs. – engaged in battle; prepared for battle; combatant, warlike, fighting
n. 1620 obs. – one who does battle; a combatant
• BATTAILLEROUS
adj. c1480 obs. – fond of fighting, warlike
• BATTAILOUS
adj. c1380 arch. – fond of fighting; ready or eager for battle; warlike, bellicose, pugnacious
• BATTED
adj. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – drunk
• BATTEN
vb. 1. 1591 – to grow better, or improve in condition; of animals esp., to improve in bodily condition by feeding, to feed to advantage, to thrive, to grow fat
vb. 2. 1602 – to feed gluttonously on; to glut oneself; to gloat or revel in
vb. 3. 1605 – to thrive, to grow fat, to prosper, esp. in a bad sense, at the expense or to the detriment of another; to gratify a morbid mental craving
vb. 4. 1964 Aust. sl. – of a man: to live off the earnings of a prostitute
• BATTENING
adj. 1593 – feeding to advantage, or with a relish; growing fat; thriving, healthy
n. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – a bringing-up, thriving
• BATTER
n. 1. 1790 Eng. dial. – soft, moist dirt; filth
n. 2. 1823 Sc. – a heavy blow or series of blows
n. 3. 1839 sl. – a spree
n. 4. 1966 Amer. dial. – a pancake
n. 5. c1975 Amer. dial. – a street running up a hillside, usually rather narrow
n. 6. 1982 Bahamas – a board used to cover a window before a hurricane or storm
vb. 1. c1325 – to strike with repeated blows of an instrument or weapon; to beat continuously and violently so as to bruise and shatter
vb. 2. 1578 – to subject persons, opinions, etc. to heavy, crushing, or persistent attack
vb. 3. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – of rain: to beat against anything; to drive
vb. 4. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – to pelt with stones
vb. 5. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – to labour or walk at a great rate
vb. 6. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – to splash with mud
vb. 7. 1950 US sl. – to beg on the street
• BATTERABLE
adj. 1611 – that can be battered or bruised by beating
• BATTER BREAD
n. 1897 Amer. dial. – cornbread made with eggs and milk
• BATTERCAKE
n. 1. 1833 Amer. dial. – fried cornmeal
n. 2. 1840 Amer. dial. – a pancake
• BATTERDASHER
n. 1696 obs. rare – a weapon of offense
• BATTERED
adj. 1. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – tired, overcome by walking or labour
adj. 2. Bk1942 sl. – drunk
• BATTERFANG
vb. 1630 obs. exc. Eng. & Amer. dial. – to strike with repeated blows of an instrument or weapon; to beat continuously and violently so as to bruise and shatter; to assail violently
• BATTERFANGED
adj. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – bruised, beaten, scratched
• BATTERFANGING
n. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – a sound beating or scratching
• BATTERING
n. 1895 Eng. dial. – a hastening
• BATTERING-STOCK
n. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – a scapegoat who gets the blows or reproaches due to another
• BATTERLASH
n. 1867 Eng. dial. – a small-witted person; a foolish or gullible person
• BATTER THE BISHOP
vb. L19 sl. – to masturbate
• BATTERY
n. 1. 1591 obs. – the beating of drums
n. 2. 1592 obs. – a mark of beating; a wound or bruise
n. 3. 1799 – an embankment
n. 4. 1936 Aust. sl. – a concealed device for giving an electric shock to a horse in a race
vb. 2002 UK sl. – to knock; to hit; to knock down
• BATTERY ACID
n. 1. 1941 US sl., orig. military usage – coffee
n. 2. 1945 US sl. – grapefruit juice or sour lemonade
n. 3. 1998 UK sl. – LSD
• BATTERY GIRL
n. 1968 UK sl. – a prostitute who is subject to a controlling supply of drugs, etc., and consequently is managed and kept in a similar way to a battery hen
• BAT THE BREEZE
vb. World War II Amer. sl. – to talk
• BAT THE EARS
phr. 1892 Amer. dial. – said of a rabbit or other animal when it lays its ears close to the body
• BATTING
n. 1863 Eng. dial. – a beating, castigation
• BATTING AND BOWLING
n. 1984 UK sl. – bisexual sexual activity
• BATTING FOR THE OTHER SIDE
adj. 1990s UK sl. – homosexual
• BATTING ONE’S GUMS
phr. 1950 Amer. dial. – talking for the sake of talking
• BATTING-STOCK
n. 1684 Eng. dial. – a scapegoat, one who takes the blows due to another
• BATTING-STONE
n. 1843 Ireland – a scapegoat, one who takes the blows due to another
• BATTISM
n. 1617 obs. rare – tautological repetition; battology
• BATTLE
adj. Bk1898 Sc. – fat, thickset
n. 1. 1915 Amer. dial. – a ‘beetle’ for battling clothes
n. 2. 1948 US sl. – an unattractive woman
n. 3. 1960 UK rhyming sl. for ‘boozer’ = ‘battle cruiser’ – a public house
n. 4. 1967 Amer. dial. – a children’s card game, more commonly known as ‘war’; two players each have one deck of 52 decks; each player simultaneously turns the top card face up; the player who turns over the higher denomination wins both cards
n. 5. 1989 Aust. sl. – in a betting operation: the eternal plus-and-minus relationship between bettors and the betting operation
vb. 1. 1575 obs. – of men and animals: to grow fat, to thrive
vb. 2. 1576 obs. – to become fertile and fruitful
vb. 3. 1883 Amer. dial. – to clean soiled clothes by beating them with a paddle (or ‘battle’] after removing them from boiling water
vb. 4. 1895 Aust. sl. – to struggle for a living, to work hard despite troubles and exhibit courage in doing so
vb. 5. 1895 Aust. sl. – to attempt to make a living a the racecourse, either by running or gambling on horses
vb. 6. 1898 Aust. sl. – to work as a prostitute
vb. 7. Bk1898 Sc. – to besmear with mud; to walk about a room with dirty feet
vb. 8. 1949 Amer. dial. – to wash thoroughly
vb. 9. 1998 NZ sl. – to have sex; to impregnate someone
vb. 10. 1998 US sl. – to attack someone verbally
vb. 11. 1999 US sl. – to break-dance competitively with the object of demonstrating the most individual style
vb. 12. 2000 US sl. – to compete in a public demonstration of DJ skills or to establish a sound-system’s superiority; to compete in rap performance; to compete in graffiti skills
• BATTLE AND CRUISER
n. 1960 UK rhyming sl. for ‘boozer’ – a public house
• BATTLEAXE
n. 1896 sl., orig. US, derogatory – a domineering woman; an old or elderly woman who is variously characterized as resentful, vociferous, usually arrogant and no beauty
• BATTLE BOWLER
n. World War II Amer. sl. – a steel helmet
• BATTLE BREAKFAST
n. World War II Amer. Navy sl. – steak and eggs
• BATTLE-COCK
n. 1605 – a fighting cock
• BATTLE CRUISER
n. 1. 1960 UK rhyming sl. for ‘boozer’ – a public house
n. 2. 1982 US sl. – an aggressive, mannish lesbian
n. 3. 1984 UK sl. – a formidable older woman
• BATTLED
adj. 1820 Sc. – bespattered with mud; trampled down
• BATTLEDORE
n. 1697 obs. exc. Eng. dial. – a horn-book; a teaching aid consisting of a leaf of paper showing the alphabet, and often the ten digits and the Lord’s Prayer, mounted on a wooden tablet and protected by a thin plate of horn
vb. 1858 – to drive, toss, or fly to and fro
• BATTLEDORE BOOK
n. 1693 obs. exc. Eng. dial. – a horn-book; a teaching aid consisting of a leaf of paper showing the alphabet, and often the ten digits and the Lord’s Prayer, mounted on a wooden tablet and protected by a thin plate of horn
• BATTLEDORE-BOY
n. 1693 obs. exc. Eng. dial. obs. – one learning his a b c’s; an abecedarian
• BATTLED UP
adj. Bk1898 Sc. – untidy, in a mess or litter
• BATTLEFUL
adj. c1449 obs. rare – full of strife or conflict; contentious
• BATTLE-HAMMED
adj. 1727 Amer. dial., chiefly African-American usage – having thick or deformed hips
• BATTLE-HEAD
n. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – a stupid person
• BATTLE-HEADED
adj. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – stupid
• BATTLE OF HASTINGS
adj. 2002 UK sl. – history, in the past
• BATTLE OF THE BULGE
n. 1956 US sl. – an effort to lose weight
• BATTLER
n. 1. c1300 – one who battles or fights; a warrior, a fighter
n. 2. 1891 Eng. dial. – a boxer
n. 3. 1895 Aust. sl. – a gambler who tries to make a living by gambling; a habitual punter who is always struggling; also, a struggling horse owner-trainer
n. 4. 1896 Aust. sl. – a person who struggles to make a living
n. 5. 1898 Aust. sl. – a prostitute, esp. a self-managed prostitute
n. 6. Bk2007 Aust. sl. – a resolute, energetic, or otherwise impressive person
• BATTLE ROYAL
n. 1672 – a fight in which several combatants engage; hence, a general squabble
• BATTLE SCAR
n. 1982 Hawaii youth usage – a bruise on the skin caused by sucking
• BATTLESHIP
n. 1. 1931 US sl. – a powerful and domineering woman
n. 2. 1946 US sl. – a railway coal tender
• BATTLESHIPS
n. 1. 1886 Amer. sl. – large feet
n. 2. 1886 Amer. sl. – a pair of shoes or galoshes, esp. of a large size
• BATTLESOME
adj. 1. 1627 obs. – nutritious
adj. 2. 1877 rare – given to fighting, quarrelsome
• BATTLE THE IRON MEN
vb. 1951 US sl. – in horse racing: to bet using pari-mutuel machines
• BATTLE THE WATCH
vb. 20C Amer. sl., World War II usage – to do one’s best in difficulty circumstances
• BATTLE-TWIG
n. 1790 Eng. dial. – an earwig
• BATTLE WAGON
n. 1943 UK army sl. – an expensive car
• BATTLE-WRIGHT
n. a1300 obs. – a warrior
• BATTLING
adj. 1. 1555 obs. – nutritious to man; nourishing, making to grow or thrive
adj. 2. 1895 Aust. sl. – struggling to eke out a living; going through hard times
• BATTLING BLOCK
n. 1845 – a bench-like wooden stand with a flat surface on which clothes are beaten in washing → Amer. dial.
• BATTLING SONS OF THE AIR
n. 20C – airmen → World War II Amer. sl.
• BATTLING STICK
n. 1851 – a paddle-shaped piece of wood used to beat dirt out of soiled clothes after removing them from boiling water → Amer. dial.
• BATTOLOGIST
n. 1653 – one who needlessly repeats the same thing
• BATTOLOGIZE
vb. 1634 – to keep repeating a word or phrase; to repeat words or phrases with needless iteration
• BATTOLOGY
n. 1603 – a needless and tiresome repetition in speaking of writing
• BATTOON
n. 1899 – a short, straight stick; a pool or billiards cue → Amer. dial.
• BATTRY
n. 1898 – a tea-kettle (Bk.)
• BATTUE
n. 1864 – wholesale slaughter, esp. of unresisting crowds
• BATTY
adj. 1. 1903 – eccentric, odd, insane, crazy → US sl.
adj. 2. 1942 – bewildered; confused; muddled → Amer. sl. (Bk.)
adj. 3. 1942 – drunk → Amer. sl. (Bk.)
n. 1. 1898 – a rabbit → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
n. 2. 1898 – workmen’s wages, perquisites → sl. (Bk.)
n. 3. 1935 – the buttocks → Jamaica sl.
n. 4. 2000 – homosexuality → Black British sl.
• BATTY BOY
n. 1992 – a homosexual → UK sl.
• BATTY-BREADS
n. 1906 – cornbread pancakes → Amer. dial.
• BATTY BWAI • BATTY BWOY
n. 1992 – a homosexual → UK sl.
• BATTYMAN
n. 2007 – a male homosexual → UK sl. (Bk.)
• BATTY-MOUSE
n. 1898 – a bat → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
• BATTY-RIDERS
n. 1990 – extremely short shorts or hot pants worn by females → UK sl.
• BATTY-SEED
n. 1990 – a male homosexual → UK sl.
• BATWING
n. 1. L19 – paper money, esp. a $1 bill → US sl.
n. 2. 1950 – (as ‘bat wing’) a half-pint flask, esp. of bootleg liquor → Amer. dial.
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Lexicophilia 