DictionaryAI

battery

noun
BAT-uh-ree/ˈbæt.əɹi/BAT-ree/ˈbæt.(ə)ɹi/

Pluralbatteries

12 meanings of battery

Practice

  1. 1
    nouncountable
    A small object that stores electricity and gives power to things like phones, toys and cars.

    Like a small tank that holds power instead of water.

    My phone battery died during the movie.

    The remote stopped working because its batteries were old.

    UsageA battery runs out or dies; you charge it.

    Note
  2. 2
    charge leftnouncolloquialmetonymicallyuncountable
    The amount of power left in a phone, laptop, or other device.

    Like the gas left in a car's tank.

    My phone is almost out of battery.

    I turned down the screen brightness to save battery.

    UsageSay low on battery or out of battery, with no a.

    Similarpower, charge, juice

  3. 3
    physical attacknouncountable or uncountable
    The act of touching or hitting another person on purpose in a harmful or unwanted way, which is against the law.

    He was arrested for battery after the fight outside the restaurant.

    Pushing someone in anger can count as battery.

    UsageOften in assault and battery.

    Note
  4. 4
    nouncountable or uncountable
    A group of big military guns used together, and the soldiers who fire them.

    His battery had six guns and about a hundred soldiers.

    The captain led his battery across the river before dark.

    Note
  5. 5
    gun platformnounhistoricalcountable or uncountable
    A raised platform built in past times to hold large guns.

    Soldiers rolled the cannons up onto the stone battery.

    His grand battery was as badly provided with cannon as his little battery, for not a single gun was mounted on either.
    1776, Charles Carroll, Brantz MayerHere, battery means a raised platform where cannons are placed and fired.
    Note

Practice

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Origin

It comes from a French word meaning 'a beating', from a Latin word meaning 'to beat'. Benjamin Franklin used it for the electric battery, comparing his set of jars to a military battery.