Part 547

Bat tick (Zoöl.), a wingless, dipterous insect of the genus Nycteribia, parasitic on bats.

Bat"a*ble (&?;), a. [Abbrev. from debatable.] Disputable. [Obs.]

The border land between England and Scotland, being formerly a subject of contention, was called batable or debatable ground.

Bat"ailled (&?;), a. Embattled. [Obs.] Chaucer.

||Ba`tar*deau" (&?;), n. [F.] 1. A cofferdam. Brande & C.

2. (Mil.) A wall built across the ditch of a fortification, with a sluice gate to regulate the height of water in the ditch on both sides of the wall.

{ ||Ba*ta"tas (&?;), ||Ba*ta"ta (&?;), } n. An aboriginal American name for the sweet potato (Ipomæa batatas).

Ba*ta"vi*an (&?;), a. Of or pertaining to (a) the Batavi, an ancient Germanic tribe; or to (b) Batavia or Holland; as, a Batavian legion.

Batavian Republic, the name given to Holland by the French after its conquest in 1795.

Ba*ta"vi*an, n. A native or inhabitant of Batavia or Holland. [R.] Bancroft.

Batch (&?;), n. [OE. bache, bacche, fr. AS. bacan to bake; cf. G. gebäck and D. baksel. See Bake, v. t.]

1. The quantity of bread baked at one time.

2. A quantity of anything produced at one operation; a group or collection of persons or things of the same kind; as, a batch of letters; the next batch of business. "A new batch of Lords." Lady M. W. Montagu.

Bate (&?;), n. [Prob. abbrev. from debate.] Strife; contention. [Obs.] Shak.

Bate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bated; p. pr. & vb. n. Bating.] [From abate.] 1. To lessen by retrenching, deducting, or reducing; to abate; to beat down; to lower.

He must either bate the laborer's wages, or not employ or not pay him. Locke.

2. To allow by way of abatement or deduction.

To whom he bates nothing of what he stood upon with the parliament. South.

3. To leave out; to except. [Obs.]

Bate me the king, and, be he flesh and blood, He lies that says it. Beau. & Fl.

4. To remove. [Obs.]

About autumn bate the earth from about the roots of olives, and lay them bare. Holland.

5. To deprive of. [Obs.]

When baseness is exalted, do not bate The place its honor for the person's sake. Herbert.

Bate, v. i. 1. To remit or retrench a part; -- with of.

Abate thy speed, and I will bate of mine. Dryden.

2. To waste away. [Obs.] Shak.

Bate (&?;), v. t. To attack; to bait. [Obs.] Spenser.