A small, flying mammal with wings made of skin stretched between its long fingers, active mostly at night. It can also mean a long, rounded club used to hit a ball in sports like baseball or cricket.
The animal word probably comes from Middle English “bakke,” related to Old Scandinavian words for bat. The club sense may come from an Old English word for club or stick, possibly influenced by “bat” meaning to hit.
The two “bats” in English—one that flies and one that hits—are etymologically different, even though we write and say them the same. The animal’s name might echo its flapping motion, while the tool’s name grew from the act of striking.
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