Baton
/ˈbætɒn/noun
A short stick or staff used as a symbol of authority, a conductor’s wand, or a relay race implement.
Did you know?Baton comes through French from a word for a stick or cudgel, and in ceremonial and musical life it became a visible token of command—proof that even simple objects can be turned into symbols of power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰeh₂-
“to strike, beat”
Late Latin
Latin
battuere
“to beat, strike”
Old French
Old French
baton
“a stick, staff, cudgel”
Middle English
English
batoun
“a staff or rod”
Modern English
English
baton
“a short staff; a conductor’s wand; a relay stick”