battledore

American  

[bat-l-dawr] / ˈbæt lˌdɔr /

noun

1. Also called battledore and shuttlecock.  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.

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verb (used with or without object)

battledored, battledoring

1. to toss or fly back and forth.

   to battledore the plan among one's colleagues.

battledore British  

/ ˈbætəlˌdɔː /

noun

1. Also called: battledore 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

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Etymology

Origin of battledore

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

Example Sentences

They were members of the Citizens' No Strike Committee, which presented itself as a battledore and shuttlecock between the estranged parties to an impending anthracite coal strike.

From Time Magazine Archive

In this international battledore, all sorts of shuttlecock expressions have cropped up.

From Time Magazine Archive

Badminton, modern version of the ancient game of battledore & shuttlecock, takes its name from the county seat of the Duke of Beaufort.

From Time Magazine Archive

Following the attempt upon the Crown Prince's life, the Cabinet and the Prince played battledore and shuttlecock with the Government.

From Time Magazine Archive

But I stayed out a few minutes longer with Adèle and Pilot—ran a race with her, and played a game of battledore and shuttlecock.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë