battledore

[ bat-l-dawr, -dohr ]
/ ˈbæt lˌdɔr, -ˌdoʊr /

noun

Also called battledore and shuttlecock. a game from which badminton was developed, played since ancient times in India and other Asian countries.
a light racket for striking the shuttlecock in this game.
a 17th- and 18th-century hornbook of wood or cardboard, used as a child's primer.

verb (used with or without object), bat·tle·dored, bat·tle·dor·ing.

to toss or fly back and forth: to battledore the plan among one's colleagues.

Origin of battledore

1400–50; late Middle English batyldo(u)re washing beetle, equivalent to batyl to beat (clothes) in washing (frequentative of bat1) + -dore dung beetle ( beetle1 for beetle2 by way of pun, with allusion to filth on clothes). See dor1

Words nearby battledore

battle-ax culture, battle-axe, battle-axe block, battle-scarred, battlebus, battledore, battledore placenta, battledress, battlefield, battlefront, battlement

Example sentences from the Web for battledore

British Dictionary definitions for battledore

battledore
/ (ˈbætəlˌdɔː) /

noun

Also called: battledore and shuttlecock an ancient racket game
a light racket, smaller than a tennis racket, used for striking the shuttlecock in this game
(formerly) a wooden utensil used for beating clothes, in baking, etc

Word Origin for battledore

C15 batyldoure, perhaps from Old Provençal batedor a beater, from Old French battre to beat, batter 1