baton
pronunciation
How to pronounce baton in British English:
UK ['bætɒn]
How to pronounce baton in American English:
US [bəˈtɑn, bæ-, ˈbætn]
-
- Noun:
- a thin tapered rod used by a conductor to direct an orchestra
- an implement passed from runner to runner in a relay race
Word Origin
- baton (n.)
- 1540s, "a staff used as a weapon," from French bâton "stick, walking stick, staff, club, wand," from Old French baston (12c.) "stick, staff, rod," from Late Latin bastum "stout staff," probably of Gaulish origin or else from Greek *baston "support," from bastazein "to lift up, raise, carry." Meaning "staff carried as a symbol of office" is from 1580s; musical sense of "conductor's wand" is from 1841 (from 1839 as a French word in English). Often anglicized 17c.-18c. as batoon.
Example
- 1. But the dealmaking baton was about to pass from strategic bidders to the new breed of private equity groups .
- 2. The moment has come for emerging powers to seize the baton and assume our legitimate share of international responsibilities .
- 3. As new york hands over the fashion baton to london this week , there will no doubt be plenty of talk about recession chic .
- 4. One reason may be that members of congress believe that , since the worst is over , now is the time to hand the growth baton back to the private sector .
- 5. Even more optimistic , perhaps , is the view that domestic demand will take up the baton , thus providing china with the much-needed rebalancing it has struggled to pull off .