Past tense of 'battel,' meaning to provide with food and drink on credit at Oxford or Cambridge University, or to live off such provisions.
From Middle English 'battel,' possibly related to Old English 'bæt' (food) or French 'bataille' (battle, originally meaning provisions for soldiers). The term developed specifically in Oxford and Cambridge academic contexts from the 16th century onward.
This is a uniquely British academic word—at Oxford and Cambridge, students could 'battel' for their meals, meaning the college would bill them later, essentially creating an early credit system within universities. It's a window into how medieval and early modern university life operated differently than today!
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