battledore

Meaning

1. A game played with a shuttlecock and rackets (properly battledore and shuttlecock); a forerunner of badminton.
2. The racket used in this game.
3. (obsolete) A child's hornbook for learning the alphabet.
4. (historical) A wooden paddle-shaped bat or beetle used to wash clothes by beating, stirring, or smoothing them.

Synonyms

badminton racket

battledore and shuttlecock

badminton racquet

beater

rolling-pin

Translations

Federballschläger

Badmintonschläger

racchetta da badminton

raket

🚀

pala

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: batildore

In summary

From Middle English batildore, batylledore, batildure, batyldoure, batyndore, probably as a blend of Middle English betel (“bat, club”) and Old Occitan batedor (“beater, bat”).