baton

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a thin stick used by a conductor to direct an orchestra or choir

   The conductor raised her baton, and the orchestra fell silent.

2. 2
   noun

   a short tube passed from one runner to another in a relay race

   He dropped the baton during the final exchange of the relay.

3. 3
   noun

   a short, heavy stick carried by a police officer or guard

   The officer returned the baton to its holder after the crowd dispersed.

Simplified etymology

Baton came from French and ultimately from Latin bastum, “stick.” It originally meant a club or cudgel; its use for a conductor’s directing stick is recorded in 1785, and its relay-racing sense appears in 1920.

Borrowed from French bâton ("stick, staff"). English retained the broad idea of a carried stick while developing specialized senses in music, relay racing, policing, and ceremonial office.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary