bat

I

n

1. stick, racket, mallet; club, shaft, staff, cudgel, bludgeon, truncheon, cane.

2.Informal. stroke, bang, hit, smack, rap, knock, buffet, blow, cuff, Inf. wallop, slam, swat, slap, whack, thwack, Inf. sock, Inf. whop, Inf. lick, Sl. smackeroo, Sl. zinger; strike, thump, tap, pat, poke, swipe, dab, jab.

3.Slang. spree, revel, debauch, Inf. binge, Inf. drunk, Inf. jag, Inf. bender, Inf. soak, Inf. souse, Inf. toot, lost weekend; orgy, party, romp, escapade, fling, caper, Inf. tear; wassail, carouse, carousal, bacchanalia.

4. go to bat for

Slang. defend, stand up for, fight for, stick by; support, back up, advocate, champion, vouch for.

5. right off the bat

immediately, quickly, at once, without delay, without hesitation, without another thought, Inf. off the top of one's head.

v

6. strike, hit, batter, pound, lay on, pommel, pummel, Sl. paste; thrash, flog, switch, swat, birch, scourge, whip, horsewhip, thresh, flail; Inf. thump, Inf. lambaste, Inf. whale, Sl. whomp; smite, thwack, slap, smack; knock, cuff, buffet; Inf. clout, Inf. slug, Inf. slam, Inf. whack, Inf. knock [s.o.'s] block off, Inf. wallop, Inf. belt, Sl. sock; cudgel, bludgeon, baste, cane, bastinado, club, hammer; thrash, trounce, drub, Inf. wallop, Sl. clobber.

7. bat around

Slang. a. roam, wander, ramble, drift, meander; prowl, Sl. mooch or hang around, Sl. fool around.b. ponder, debate, discuss, talk over, confer, Inf. kick around.

8. bat the breeze

Slang. a. chat, chitchat, Sl. shoot the breeze, Sl. chin, palaver.b. exaggerate, brag, stretch the truth, talk nonsense; gossip, tittle-tattle, buzz.

II

v

1.Informal. blink, flutter, flicker, twinkle, wink, nictitate, nictate.

2. not bat an eye

Informal. show no emotion or surprise, remain unperturbed, maintain self-control, Sl. keep one's cool; be nonchalant, Sl. stay loose.