batting: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Informal to neutral in sports contexts; technical in textile/craft contexts.
Quick answer
What does “batting” mean?
The action or skill of hitting a ball with a bat in sports like cricket and baseball.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The action or skill of hitting a ball with a bat in sports like cricket and baseball; or the cotton or wool filling used in quilts.
In cricket, it specifically refers to the role of the batsman and their performance. In baseball, it refers to a team's or player's turn at hitting. In textiles, it is a layer of compressed fibrous material used for insulation or padding.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, 'batting' is overwhelmingly associated with cricket. In the US, it is primarily associated with baseball. The textile meaning is common in both.
Connotations
UK: Strongly connotes cricket, summer, tradition. US: Connotes baseball, statistics (batting average).
Frequency
Higher frequency in UK English due to cricket's cultural prominence. In US English, 'batting' is common but often in the compound 'batting average'.
Grammar
How to Use “batting” in a Sentence
[Team/Player] + [is/was] + batting[Adjective] + batting + [noun][Verb] + the + battingVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “batting” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- England are batting first on a flat pitch.
- He spent the summer batting for the county side.
American English
- The Yankees are batting around in the third inning.
- She's been batting cleanup since April.
adjective
British English
- He selected a batting helmet from the kit bag.
- The team's batting coach made several adjustments.
American English
- They built a new batting cage for practice.
- His batting gloves were covered in pine tar.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Potentially in metaphorical use: 'The new product is batting a thousand with customers.'
Academic
Rare outside of sports science or historical studies of textiles.
Everyday
Common in sports news, conversation about games, and craft/hobby discussions.
Technical
Specific in sports coaching (e.g., batting stance, batting mechanics) and textile manufacturing.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “batting”
- Using 'batting' as a countable noun for a single hit (use 'shot' or 'stroke').
- Confusing 'batting' (activity) with 'bat' (the object).
- Misspelling as 'bating'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Very rarely. It is specific to sports where a 'bat' is the primary hitting tool, such as softball or rounders. It is not used for racket sports like tennis.
Typically no for the sports activity ('Their batting was poor'). For the textile material, it is usually uncountable ('three bags of batting'), though 'battings' can be found in very specialised manufacturing contexts.
'Batting' is the general activity. A 'batting average' is a specific statistical measure of a batter's performance (hits divided by at-bats in baseball; runs divided by innings in cricket).
Use it as an uncountable noun, often preceded by the material type: 'She layered polyester batting between the quilt top and backing before sewing.'
The action or skill of hitting a ball with a bat in sports like cricket and baseball.
Batting is usually informal to neutral in sports contexts; technical in textile/craft contexts. in register.
Batting: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbæt.ɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbæt̬.ɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to have a good batting average (figurative: to be often successful)”
- “on a batting streak”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a BAT hITTING a ball, or a BAT being used to beat cotton into THIN layers for a quilt.
Conceptual Metaphor
PERFORMANCE IS A BATTING AVERAGE (e.g., 'Her success rate in negotiations is impressive.').
Practice
Quiz
In a cricket context, what does 'batting' primarily refer to?