batter

UK/ˈbætə/US/ˈbætɚ/

nounB12 meanings Common in everyday speech and writing · #4,143 of 15,258neutral

Other forms: batters, battered, battering

Batter is the pourable mixture of flour, eggs and milk used before cooking. Pancake batter, dip it in batter, the batter should be smooth.

It is thinner than a dough and thicker than a liquid, and its thickness decides what it makes: pancakes, Yorkshire puddings, or the coating on fish and chips. Resting the batter lets the flour absorb the liquid and makes it better. There is also a verb, to batter, meaning to hit repeatedly and hard — battered by the storm — and battered as an adjective can mean both coated in batter and badly damaged.

Definitions of batter

1nounbatterA pourable mix of flour, eggs and milk used before cooking.B1
“The batter should be about the thickness of cream.”
- Said"Let the batter rest for half an hour; it'll be lighter, I promise."
- WrittenThe batter went into the hot fat with a hiss and came out as gold as the lamp.
- UsedWhisk the batter until no lumps remain, then leave it to stand.
- ContrastBatter, not dough. Dough is thick enough to knead; batter pours. dough →
- Not thisCake mix from a packet is not batter until you add the eggs and milk. Batter is wet.
- SimplyThe batter is ready. Put it in the bowl.
Patternmake / mix / whisk the batter · pancake / tempura batter · dip sth in batter · battered fish
2verbhitTo hit something repeatedly and hard.B2
“The coast was battered for three days.”

Remember it

It comes from the old word to beat: batter is what you get when you beat the eggs and the milk into the dry mix until it runs.

hooks ontobeat

Also practised as

verbTo strike repeatedly until damaged.

Where it comes from

Middle English batteren, to beat, gives both senses: the mixture is named for the beating that makes it. Batter, battle, battery and abate all come from Latin battuere, to strike.

Middle English
batteren
English, today
batter

Built from

baten · Middle English — to beat

From Middle English batteren, batren, bateren, a frequentative of Middle English batten, baten (“to beat”), equivalent to bat + -er.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Definitions of batter

1nounbatterA pourable mix of flour, eggs and milk used before cooking.B1

“The batter should be about the thickness of cream.”

Said"Let the batter rest for half an hour; it'll be lighter, I promise."
WrittenThe batter went into the hot fat with a hiss and came out as gold as the lamp.
UsedWhisk the batter until no lumps remain, then leave it to stand.
ContrastBatter, not dough. Dough is thick enough to knead; batter pours. dough →
Not thisCake mix from a packet is not batter until you add the eggs and milk. Batter is wet.
SimplyThe batter is ready. Put it in the bowl.

Patternmake / mix / whisk the batter · pancake / tempura batter · dip sth in batter · battered fish

2verbhitTo hit something repeatedly and hard.B2

“The coast was battered for three days.”