Meaning & use
baton
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablesport
A short stick passed from one runner to the next in a relay race.
Grammar: Often used with pass or drop: pass the baton.
Patterns
- pass the baton
- drop the baton
She dropped the baton during the handover.
The first runner passed the baton smoothly.
He gripped the baton and sprinted around the bend.
nouncountablemusic
A thin stick used by a conductor to direct an orchestra or choir.
Grammar: Often found in phrases like raise the baton.
Patterns
- raise the baton
- under the baton of someone
The conductor raised his baton and the music began.
The concert was played under the baton of a young maestro.
She tapped her baton on the stand.
nouncountable
A short stick carried by police officers as a weapon or for control.
Grammar: Often used in news reports: a police baton.
Patterns
- a police baton
- a baton charge
Officers carried batons at the demonstration.
The riot squad made a baton charge.
He was struck with a baton during the protest.
nouncountable
A twirled stick used by a drum major or a parade performer.
Grammar: Common in marching bands: a baton twirler.
Patterns
- twirl a baton
The drum major twirled a baton at the parade.
She practiced tossing the baton in the air.
The band leader's baton gleamed in the sun.
Word forms
| plural | batons |
|---|
Common combinations
- pass the baton
- The founder will pass the baton to his daughter.
- take up the baton
- A new team took up the baton and continued the research.
- conductor's baton
- The conductor's baton moved with the music.
- relay baton
- The relay baton fell onto the track.
- police baton
- A police baton is a short club.
- baton twirler
- A baton twirler led the marching band.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stick
- Stick is an everyday word for any thin piece of wood, whereas baton names a specific purposeful stick.
- truncheon
- Truncheon is a British word for a police club, which is narrower than baton.
- wand
- Wand suggests magic or ceremony, while baton is used for conducting or races.
- rod
- Rod is a long thin bar for many uses, and it lacks the specific roles of a baton.
Word family
- batons noun
- plural form
- batoned adjective
- rare, struck with a baton
Commonly confused: baton or baton rouge? baton or batten?
baton vs baton rouge
Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana. It means red stick in French.
baton vs batten
A batten is a strip of wood used to secure something. It is different from a baton.
Practice
What does 'pass the baton' mean figuratively?
Choose one answer.
Passing the baton means giving a role or duty to the next person, like in a relay. The other options are unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “baton”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.