Where does “bat an eyelid” come from?

bat an eyelid (English) comes from English bat, from French bât, from Old French bast, from Vulgar Latin bastum, from Latin bastāre, from Ancient Greek βαστάζω — to lift, lift up, raise; to bear, carry; to carry...

bat an eyelid (English): To react in any slight way; to respond

Definitions

  1. To react in any slight way; to respond

Ancestry of “bat an eyelid”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbatAny of the flying mammals of the order...
2Frenchbâtpacksaddle
3Old Frenchbastpacksaddle
4Vulgar LatinbastumA stick
5Latinbastāre—
6Ancient Greekβαστάζωto lift, lift up, raise; to bear, carry; to carry...
Every word from Ancient Greek βαστάζω →Every word from Latin bastāre →Every word from Vulgar Latin bastum →