batch

American  

[bach] / bætʃ /

noun

1. a quantity or number coming at one time or taken together.

   a batch of prisoners.

   Synonyms:

   troop, pack, gang, flock, band, set, number, lot, group, bunch

2. the quantity of material prepared or required for one operation.

   mixing a batch of concrete.

3. the quantity of bread, cookies, dough, or the like, made at one baking.

4. Computers.

   1. a group of jobs, data, or programs treated as a unit for computer processing.

   2. batch processing.

5. Glassmaking.

   1. a quantity of raw materials mixed in proper proportions and prepared for fusion into glass.

   2. the material so mixed.

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verb (used with object)

1. to combine, mix, or process in a batch.

batch ¹ British  

/ bætʃ /

noun

1. a group or set of usually similar objects or people, esp if sent off, handled, or arriving at the same time

2. the bread, cakes, etc, produced at one baking

3. the amount of a material needed for an operation

4. Also called: batch loaf.  a tall loaf having a close texture and a thick crust on the top and bottom, baked as part of a batch: the sides of each loaf are greased so that they will pull apart after baking to have pale crumby sides; made esp in Scotland and Ireland Compare pan loaf

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verb

1. to group (items) for efficient processing

2. to handle by batch processing

batch ² British  

/ bætʃ /

verb

1. (intr) (of a man) to do his own cooking and housekeeping

2. to live alone

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Etymology

Origin of batch

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English bache “amount of bread produced in one baking,” Old English gebæc; akin to German Gebäck “pastry, cakes”; see origin at bake

Explanation

A batch is a completed group, collection, or quantity of something, especially something that's just been made. You might, for example, bake a batch of cookies to take to your new neighbor. A company that makes soap might deliver a batch, loaded on a truck, to a new store in Vermont, and if you manage a bakery you might declare, "That's it! This is our last batch of gingerbread until next year!" In computer lingo, a batch is, similarly, a group or collection of records. The Old English root, bæcce, means "something baked," from bacan, "bake."

Example Sentences

It takes Gillaspia, who is known for his videos on running and baking sourdough bread, about 30-45 minutes to cook up a batch of the ground beef and white rice mixture.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Kevin Warsh’s nomination as the next Fed chair is coming, with the Senate preparing a confirmation vote as the next batch of inflation data is due.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

He gives me a virtual hug and convinces me to convince my husband that the pancakes in the freezer should be saved for my return and a new batch prepared for today’s breakfast.

From Slate • May 10, 2026

But she now bulk buys food for herself and Luna once a month, spending an entire weekend batch cooking and freezing meals, which allows her to stick within a budget of £250 a month.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

“You’re in luck. I just finished up a batch of croissants, but there’s also shepherd’s pie if you want. The temp really dropped tonight, right?”

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

Related Words

• amount
• array
• assortment
• bunch
• bundle
• cluster
• collection
• lot
• parcel
• quantity
• shipment
• volume