battledore

battledore
/bat"l dawr', -dohr'/, n., v., battledored, battledoring.
n.
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.
v.t., v.i.
4. to toss or fly back and forth: to battledore the plan among one's colleagues.
[1400-50; late ME batyldo(u)re washing beetle, equiv. to batyl to beat (clothes) in washing (freq. of BAT1) + -dore dung beetle (BEETLE1 for BEETLE2 by way of pun, with allusion to filth on clothes). See DOR1]

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • battledore — at tle*dore n. same as {battledoor}. Syn: battledore and shuttlecock. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • battledore — [bat′ l dôr΄] n. [ME batildore < OProv batedor, beater < OFr battre (see BATTER1): sp. infl. by ME betel, BEETLE2] 1. a flat paddle or racket used to hit a shuttlecock back and forth in a game (called battledore and shuttlecock) from which… …   English World dictionary

  • battledore — mid 15c., bat like implement used in washing clothes, of unknown origin, perhaps from O.Prov. batedor, Sp. batidor beater, bat, from batir to beat; perhaps blended with M.E. betel hammer, mallet. As a trype of racket used in a game, from 1590s …   Etymology dictionary

  • battledore — bat·tle·dore || bætldɔː n. battledore and shuttlecock (game similar to badminton); light racket used in the game of battledore …   English contemporary dictionary

  • battledore — /ˈbætldɔ/ (say batldaw) noun 1. an instrument shaped like a tennis racquet, but smaller, used in striking a shuttlecock in play. 2. a wooden bat shaped instrument used in washing or smoothing clothes. –verb (battledored, battledoring) –verb (i) 3 …  

  • battledore — battledoor at tle*door , n. [OE. batyldour. A corrupted form of uncertain origin; cf. Sp. batallador a great combatant, he who has fought many battles, Pg. batalhador, Pr. batalhador, warrior, soldier, fr. L. battalia; or cf. Pr. batedor batlet …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • battledore — noun a) A game played with a shuttlecock and rackets (properly battledore and shuttlecock); a forerunner of badminton b) The racket used in this game …   Wiktionary

  • battledore — [ bat(ə)ldɔ:] noun 1》 (also battledore and shuttlecock) a game played with a shuttlecock and rackets, a forerunner of badminton.     ↘the small racket used in this game. 2》 a wooden paddle shaped implement formerly used to beat and stir washing.… …   English new terms dictionary

  • battledore — n. hist. 1 a (in full battledore and shuttlecock) a game played with a shuttlecock and rackets. b the racket used in this. 2 a kind of wooden utensil like a paddle, formerly used in washing, baking, etc. Etymology: 15th c., perh. f. Prov. batedor …   Useful english dictionary

  • Battledore and Shuttlecock — or Jeu de Volantis is an early game similar to that of modern Badminton. This game is played by two persons with small rackets, called battledores, made of parchment or rows of gut stretched across wooden frames, and shuttlecocks, made of a base… …   Wikipedia

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