Definition of "bat" []

• A stout wooden stick; a cudgel. (noun)
• A blow, such as one delivered with a stick. (noun)
• Baseball A rounded, often wooden club, wider and heavier at the hitting end and tapering at the handle, used to strike the ball. (noun)
• Sports A club used in cricket, having a broad, flat-surfaced hitting end and a distinct, narrow handle. (noun)
• Sports The racket used in various games, such as table tennis or racquets. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "I hereby resolve to slip in, heh, the term bat-shit slippery at the next possible opportunity by way of test drive."
• "Why Shapira didn't just cut to the chase and ask for the name right off the bat is a mystery to me."
• "Right off the bat is his introduction and damn was it cool."