Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bat” come from?

Bat derives from English abate, from Latin beta, from Ancient Greek βῆτα, with uncertain sense development through the Latin elements ad-, ab, and manus.

bat (English): Any of the flying mammals of the order...

Definitions

  1. Any of the flying mammals of the order...

Ancestry of “bat”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchbâtpacksaddle
2Old Frenchbastpacksaddle
3Vulgar LatinbastumA stick
4Latinbastāre—
5Ancient Greekβαστάζωto lift, lift up, raise; to bear, carry; to carry...

Words derived from “bat”

  • batting
  • batsman
  • batman
  • batty
  • brickbat
  • batlike
  • batboy
  • batwing
  • batshit
  • batsmanship
  • batmobile
  • microbat
  • moonbat
  • batfowling
  • battiness
  • batswoman
  • batless
  • batlet
  • batgirl
  • megabat
  • batling
  • batsqueak
  • batskin
  • batmaker
Every word from Ancient Greek βαστάζω →