baton

noun

1. 1

   A staff or truncheon, used for various purposes.

2. 2

   A ceremonial staff of a field marshal or a similar high-ranking military office.

3. 3

   The stick of a conductor in musical performances.

   The conductor raised his baton and the orchestra fell silent.

4. 4

   An object transferred by runners in a relay race.

   In the relay race, the runner dropped the baton.

5. 5

   A rod twirled in a marching band's performance, in a gymnastic sport, or in juggling.

6. 6

   A short stout club used primarily by policemen.

   The police officer carried a baton for self-defense.

7. 7

   A bend with the ends cut off, resembling a baton, typically borne sinister, and often used as a mark of cadency, initially for both legitimate and illegitimate children, but later chiefly for illegitimate children.

   Alternative forms: batune, baston

8. 8

   A short vertical lightweight post, not set into the ground, used to separate wires in a fence.

9. 9

   A batonnet, a long slice of a vegetable, thicker than a julienne.

10. 10

    A short baguette.

verb

1. 1

   figurativeTo strike with a baton.

   She passed the baton to her successor after retiring.

   accept/refuse/receive the baton

Forms

plural

batons

past tense

batoned

past participle

batoned

present participle

batoning

third person singular

batons