What does "battledore" mean?
A game played with a shuttlecock and rackets (properly battledore and shuttlecock); a forerunner of badminton.
Battledore
/ˈbæ.təl.dɔː/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A game played with a shuttlecock and rackets (properly battledore and shuttlecock); a forerunner of badminton.
- Grammar: battledore is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abecedarium, abecedary, agate, alphabet book.
- Usage evidence: The feathered balls you hit with a battledore are the seeds of a large tree called 'soapberry'.
How to use "battledore"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "battledore" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
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- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "battledore" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "battledore" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 A game played with a shuttlecock and rackets (properly battledore and shuttlecock); a forerunner of badminton.
- 2 an ancient racket game wordnet
- 3 The racket used in this game.
"Seven or eight of them, standing in a circle, were engaged in a game of shittlecock. They had in their hands no battledores. They did not employ the hand or arm, any way, in striking it. But, after taking a short race, and springing from the floor, they met the descending shittlecock with the sole of the foot, and drove it up again, with force, high into the air."
- 4 a light long-handled racket used by badminton players wordnet
- 5 A child's hornbook for learning the alphabet. obsolete
"You will also pardon the errors of the Work, for you know I was not bred to letters; but, that the battledore, at an age not exceeding six, was the last book I used at school."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A wooden paddle-shaped bat or beetle used to wash clothes by beating, stirring, or smoothing them. historical
"There is a large basin near the fountain, where numbers of women may be seen every day, kneeling at the edge of the water, and beating the clothes with heavy pieces of wood in the shape of battledores."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The feathered balls you hit with a battledore are the seeds of a large tree called 'soapberry'."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "battledore"?
Common synonyms include: abecedarium, abecedary, agate, alphabet book, badminton racket, badminton racquet.
How do you use "battledore" in a sentence?
The feathered balls you hit with a battledore are the seeds of a large tree called 'soapberry'.
How do you pronounce "battledore"?
Pronounced /ˈbæ.təl.dɔː/.
Etymology
From Middle English batildore, batylledore, batildure, batyldoure, batyndore, probably as a blend of Middle English betel (“bat, club”) and Old Occitan batedor (“beater, bat”).