Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

baton

/bəˈtɑn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.64 in modern English

Syllables: ba-ton
IPA: /bəˈtɑn/

7

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A staff or truncheon, used for various purposes.

noun

A ceremonial staff of a field marshal or a similar high-ranking military office.

noun

The stick of a conductor in musical performances.

noun

An object transferred by runners in a relay race.

noun

A rod twirled in a marching band's performance, in a gymnastic sport, or in juggling.

noun

A short stout club used primarily by policemen.

American usage

noun

A bend with the ends cut off, resembling a baton, typically borne sinister, and often used as a mark of cadency, initially for both legitimate and illegitimate children, but later chiefly for illegitimate children.

noun

A short vertical lightweight post, not set into the ground, used to separate wires in a fence.

Example Sentences

"The conductor raised his baton and the orchestra fell silent."
"In the relay race, the runner dropped the baton."
"The police officer carried a baton for self-defense."
"Alternative forms: batune, baston"
"She passed the baton to her successor after retiring."
"accept/refuse/receive the baton"

Etymology

From French bâton. Doublet of baston.

Origin

Source language: French

Word Breakdown

Root: bâton

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /bəˈtɑn/
British English: /ˈbætɒn/

Usage

American usage
Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

batons (plural) bâton (alternative) batons (present, singular) batoning (participle, present) batoned (participle, past) batoned (past)

Derived Forms

batonic batonist batonless batonlike

Phrases

baton charge baton round baton sinister pass the baton sugar cane baton

Frequently Paired Words

baston batonnet scrape

Synonyms

billy club nightstick truncheon wand rod bat club billy billystick

Homonyms

batten (with reduced second syllable)

Rhymes With

on one-on-one come-on put-on run-on john non upon iran don jon con

Questions

How do you pronounce baton?: The recorded pronunciation is /bəˈtɑn/.
What does baton mean?: A staff or truncheon, used for various purposes.
Where does baton come from?: It is traced to French.

How to pronounce baton

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “baton”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/bəˈtɑn/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “baton”.
Repeat and practice — Say “baton” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.