From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbatonbat‧on /ˈbætɒn, -tn $ bæˈtɑːn, bə-/ noun [countable] 1 APMa short thin stick used by a conductor (=the leader of a group of musicians) to direct the music2 DSOa short light stick that is passed from one person to another during a race3 SCPa short thick stick used as a weapon by a police officer SYN truncheon4 PGOSSOa short stick that is carried as a sign of a special office or rank5 DLOa light metal stick that is spun and thrown into the air by a majorette
Examples from the Corpus
baton• A baton twirler carried the flag.• Martin, arm raised and baton coming down again and again on Dobson's head.• In the last few days, you may have seen a horrifying video of police armed with Q-tips instead of batons.• I saw one man being struck by a mounted officer's baton, picked up by some shocked onlookers and given first-aid.• Karajan, it seems, always had a superb baton technique.• Not the tapping baton of Conductor Richard Armstrong-although his powers over an able orchestra become evident soon enough.• His supporters stress the sentimental and entertainment value of seeing him take the baton one more time.• Illus.1 conveys this well, not least by the way the baton is shown as held some way towards the middle.Origin baton (1500-1600) French bâton, from Late Latin bastum “stick” 