Search

to beat persistently or hard; pound repeatedly.
to damage by beating or hard usage:
Rough roads had battered the car. High winds were battering the coast.
to deal heavy, repeated blows; pound steadily:
continuing to batter at the front door.
Printing.

a damaged area on the face of type or plate.
the resulting defect in print.

a mixture of flour, milk or water, eggs, etc., beaten together for use in cookery.
to coat with batter.
(of the face of a wall or the like) to slope backward and upward.
a backward and upward slope of the face of a wall or the like.
Contemporary Examples

Our pension funds were buying their assets; the Anglo-Saxon doctrines of political economy were battering the French way.
The Ways of American Memory Fouad Ajami September 11, 2011

But, also, such pulse-pounding adventure is a battering ram against the central bulwark of a civilized society.
Dubai’s Hollywood Hitmen James Carroll February 18, 2010

The police certainly need no more scandal—their chief was forced to resign this week after being convicted of battering his wife.
How Local Police Missed a Chance to Stop Tamerlan Tsarnaev in 2011 Michael Daly July 11, 2013

One with a pistol strapped to his hip swings a battering ram into a door.
Local Cops Ready for War With Homeland Security-Funded Military Weapons Andrew Becker, G. W. Schulz December 20, 2011

One could picture catapults and trebuchets, battering rams and siege towers.
Team USA Goes Down Swinging in 2-1 World Cup Loss to Belgium Tunku Varadarajan June 30, 2014

Historical Examples

If we had time to construct machines for battering the walls, it would be an easy business; but that is out of the question.
Saint Bartholomew’s Eve G. A. Henty

Deeper in the forest the battering of the rain was mitigated.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, August 1930 Various

A battering blow fell, knocked the pistol clattering over the floor, and David instinctively clutched the other’s wrist.
The Happy End Joseph Hergesheimer

Then they kept on battering at him with their fists till he fell to the floor.
Erik Dorn Ben Hecht

The battering ram was simply a heavy timber with a metal head, swung by chains from a kind of wooden trestle.
Life on a Mediaeval Barony William Stearns Davis

noun

the act or practice of battering someone
(in combination): baby-battering, granny-battering

verb
to hit (someone or something) repeatedly using heavy blows, as with a club or other heavy instrument; beat heavily
(transitive; often passive) to damage or injure, as by blows, heavy wear, etc
(transitive) (social welfare) to subject (a person, esp a close relative living in the same house) to repeated physical violence
(transitive) to subject (a person, opinion, or theory) to harsh criticism; attack
noun
a mixture of flour, eggs, and milk, used to make cakes, pancakes, etc, and to coat certain foods before frying
noun
(sport) a player who bats
noun
the slope of the face of a wall that recedes gradually backwards and upwards
verb
(intransitive) to have such a slope
noun
a spree or debauch
v.

“strike repeatedly, beat violently and rapidly,” early 14c., from Old French batre “to beat, strike” (11c., Modern French battre “to beat, to strike”), from Latin battuere “to beat, strike,” an old word in Latin, but almost certainly borrowed from Gaulish, from PIE root *bhau- “to strike” (cf. Welsh bathu “beat;” Old English beadu “battle,” beatan “to beat,” bytl “hammer, mallet”). Began to be widely used 1962 in reference to domestic abuse. Related: Battered; battering. Battering-ram is an ancient weapon (Latin aries), but the word attested only from 1610s.
n.

“flour, eggs, and milk beaten together,” late 14c., from Old French batteure “a beating,” from Latin battuere “to beat, knock” (see batter (v.)).