Bat \Bat\ (b[a^]t), n. [OE. batte, botte, AS. batt; perhaps fr.
   the Celtic; cf. Ir. bat, bata, stick, staff; but cf. also F.
   batte a beater (thing), wooden sword, battre to beat.]
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   1. A large stick; a club; specifically, a piece of wood with
      one end thicker or broader than the other, used in playing
      baseball, cricket, etc.
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   2. In badminton, tennis, and similar games, a racket.
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   3. A sheet of cotton used for filling quilts or comfortables;
      batting.
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   4. A part of a brick with one whole end; a brickbat.
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   5. (Mining) Shale or bituminous shale. --Kirwan.
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   6. A stroke; a sharp blow. [Colloq. or Slang]
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   7. A stroke of work. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]
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   8. Rate of motion; speed. [Colloq.] "A vast host of fowl . .
      . making at full bat for the North Sea." --Pall Mall Mag.
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   9. A spree; a jollification. [Slang, U. S.]
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   10. Manner; rate; condition; state of health. [Scot. & Prov.
       Eng.]
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   Bat bolt (Machinery), a bolt barbed or jagged at its butt
      or tang to make it hold the more firmly. --Knight.
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