beater

[ bee-ter ]

noun

1. a person or thing that beats.
2. an implement or device for beating something (usually used in combination):

   the two beaters on an electric mixer;

   an old-fashioned rug beater that loosens dirt with every forceful whack.

3. Slang: Offensive. wifebeater ( def 2 ).
4. Informal. an old vehicle that is in poor condition:

   I drive a beater that I bought for $2,000.

5. Hunting. a person who rouses or drives game from cover:

   The beater flushed a covey of grouse.

6. Papermaking. a machine for beating half-stuff to pulp by separating and shortening the fibers to produce a gelatinous mass.
7. Textiles. reed ( def 6 ).
8. Newfoundland. a young seal, usually a month to six weeks old, having completely or almost completely shed its initial white fur.

beater

/ ˈbiːtə /

noun

1. a person who beats or hammers

   a panel beater

2. an instrument or device used for beating

   a carpet beater

3. a person who rouses wild game from woodland, undergrowth, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of beater¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English beter, better; beat, -er ¹; the seals in beater def 8 are so named for their beating of the water with their flippers as they learn to swim

Example Sentences

March Madness is back, and this year’s tournament of buzzer beaters and bracket busters is set up to be even more chaotic than usual.

From FiveThirtyEight

Any old beater poles will do the trick for low-key woodland adventures, but touring-specific ones with adjustable shafts and powder baskets sure are nice.

From Outside Online

Aside from McDavid’s very good teammate Leon Draisaitl,20 Edmonton’s roster hasn’t exactly been packed with world beaters since his arrival.

From FiveThirtyEight

That means they should have dense, stiff bristles and a beater bar function to lift dry soil from the carpet so it can be brushed and suctioned away.

From Popular-Science

The two included stainless beaters are easily ejectable for quick cleaning if you’re switching between bowls.

From Popular-Science

“No dictator is displeased by cartoons showing him as a power-seeking world-beater,” he would say.

From The Daily Beast

One mix tape from 2010, “Fan of a Fan,” features bad-boy crooner and occasional girlfriend-beater, Chris Brown.

From The Daily Beast

The Lakers crowd seemed nervous, and it felt like another buzzer beater was in order.

From The Daily Beast

Asher King Abramson, UCLA Quidditch president and beater, agreed.

From The Daily Beast

He saw an unfamiliar “beater” in the driveway one evening and called 911.

From The Daily Beast

The "organ beater" of bygone days was invariably accompanied by the "organ pumper," often by several of them.

From Project Gutenberg

Near him stood, leaning on his drum, the tall bass-drum beater (Bill Burroughs) of the band.

From Project Gutenberg

Also she had received an order for a certain kind of egg-beater, the like of which had never been seen in South Plains.

From Project Gutenberg

Beat until your hand grows tired, and then simply change the way you hold the beater.

From Project Gutenberg

Put unbeaten egg white and jelly together into bowl and beat with egg beater or wire whip until stiff.

From Project Gutenberg