battledore

[ bat-l-dawr ]

noun

1. Also called bat·tle·dore and shut·tle·cock [bat, -l-dawr , uh, n , shuht, -l-kok]. a game from which badminton was developed, played since ancient times in India and other Asian countries.
2. a light racket for striking the shuttlecock in this game.
3. 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.

1. to toss or fly back and forth:

   to battledore the plan among one's colleagues.

battledore

/ ˈbætəlˌdɔː /

noun

1. Also calledbattledore and shuttlecock an ancient racket game
2. a light racket, smaller than a tennis racket, used for striking the shuttlecock in this game
3. (formerly) a wooden utensil used for beating clothes, in baking, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of battledore¹

1400–50; late Middle English batyldo ( u ) re washing beetle, equivalent to batyl to beat (clothes) in washing (frequentative of bat ¹ ) + -dore dung beetle ( beetle ¹ for beetle ² by way of pun, with allusion to filth on clothes). See dor ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of battledore¹

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

Example Sentences

The difference is that instead of racquet and ball, battledore and shuttlecock are used.

From Project Gutenberg

In brief, the author is trying to get the truth and not merely playing baby-battledore among phrases.

From Project Gutenberg

He made his characters play a game of verbal battledore and shuttlecock.

From Project Gutenberg

In both towns and villages the streets are the playground, and here they play ball, or battledore and shuttlecock, or fly kites.

From Project Gutenberg

The girls play battledore and shuttlecock and bounce balls, and the boys spin tops and make them fight.

From Project Gutenberg