batter

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable or uncountable

   A thick liquid mixture of flour, eggs, and milk or water, used to make pancakes, cakes, or fried food.

   Grammar: Can be countable when talking about a particular batch: 'a batter'; uncountable when talking about the substance in general: 'batter'.

   Patterns

   • make batter
   • pour batter into something
   • batter for something

   She mixed the batter until it was smooth.

   Pour the batter into the hot pan.

   The batter for the fish should be thin and cold.

2. 2nouncountablesport

   In baseball or cricket, the player who is hitting the ball.

   Grammar: Countable; can be used with 'a' or in the plural: 'the batter', 'the batters'.

   Patterns

   • a batter hits the ball
   • the batter swung at the pitch
   • the batter was out

   The batter hit a home run.

   The pitcher struck out the batter.

   The batter walked to first base.

Word forms

Common combinations

pancake batter

I accidentally spilled pancake batter on the counter.

cake batter

The cake batter tasted sweet and vanilla-scented.

batter-fried

We ordered batter-fried fish and chips.

batter up

The coach shouted, 'Batter up!' as the next player approached the plate.

Synonyms and how they differ

dough

Dough is a thicker, stiffer mixture that is usually kneaded or rolled, while batter is thin enough to pour.

mixture

Mixture is a general word for any combination of ingredients; batter is a specific cooking term for a flour-based liquid.

Word family

batter verb

To hit someone or something repeatedly and hard.

Commonly confused: batter or batter?

Practice

Make it your own

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