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Batter

/ˈbætər/

nounverbB1

Definition

As a noun, batter is a smooth, wet mixture made from flour, eggs, milk, or water, used to make foods like pancakes, cakes, or fried foods. As a verb, batter means to hit or strike something repeatedly and strongly, often causing damage or making it weaker.

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⚡ See It in Action

Noun: A wet mixture of flour and other ingredients used in cooking

  • •She made pancake batter for breakfast.
  • •The cake batter needs to be smooth before baking.
  • •Dip the fish in batter before frying it.

Verb: To hit something repeatedly with force

  • •The storm battered the windows all night.
  • •He battered the door until someone opened.
  • •The waves battered the shore during the storm.

🧲 Make It Stick

  • ✓Think of "batter" (noun) like "dough," but softer and more liquid—not solid like bread dough, more like a thick soup you can pour.
  • ✓Picture a bowl with a creamy mixture that you pour onto a hot pan to make pancakes or cakes.
  • ✓It's the feeling of mixing ingredients until smooth and ready to cook something soft and tasty.
  • ✓Sounds like "BAT-ter" → Imagine a baseball bat hitting a ball hard and fast (verb meaning).
  • ✓Remember baseball players called "batters" who try to hit the ball with a bat many times.
  • ✓NOT like "dough" (thick and solid), batter is thinner and pourable.
  • ✓NOT like "hit" (one strike), batter means hitting many times or with force.
  • ✓NOT like "whip" (light and fast), battering is heavy and strong hitting.

🔄 Try Other Words

  • •Pound: to hit something many times with force (Use when emphasizing strong, repeated hitting)
  • •Mix: to combine ingredients (Use when talking about preparing batter as food)
  • •Strike: to hit (Use in formal or general contexts of hitting)
  • •Whisk: to beat ingredients quickly (Use when mixing batter with fast movements)

🔍 Unboxing

  • •Word parts: root "batter" (no prefix or suffix)
  • •Etymology: From Old French "batre," meaning "to beat or strike"
  • •Historical development: Originally meant to beat or strike, later also used for cooking mixtures beaten together
  • •Modern usage: Used both for cooking (a liquid mixture) and for hitting repeatedly or strongly

💭 Reflect & Connect

•How does the meaning of "batter" change when used in cooking versus in describing hitting?
•Can you think of situations where battering (hitting) might be necessary or useful? How about when it is harmful?

Fill in the blanks with the correct word:

1.To make pancakes, you need to mix the ___ until it is smooth and free of lumps.
2.During the storm, the wind and rain ___ the windows all night long.
3.When frying fish, you should dip it in ___ before putting it in the hot oil.
4.He ___ the door so hard because he was locked outside and needed help.
5.The batter for the cake must be thick enough to ___ slowly from the spoon.
6.Waves can ___ the shore, changing the shape of the beach over time.
7.Unlike a quick hit, to ___ something means to strike it many times with strong force.