batter

Definition

To hit or strike violently and repeatedly.

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

• "The firemen battered down the door."
• "The golden ſtature of their feathered bird That ſpreads her wings vpon the city wals, Shall not defend it from our battering ſhot."
• "The journey is worth an article in itself, but all I can give is a flavour of a railway which traverses a bleak but dramatic coastline that's regularly battered by the elements - especially around Parton, where the line is constantly threatened by the sea."

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