A flat wooden paddle used to hit a shuttlecock in an old game similar to badminton, or a children's paddle used in the game battledore and shuttlecock.
From Middle English 'batilldore,' possibly from Old French 'batel' (stick) combined with 'dore' (golden or from Dore, a place). The exact origin is uncertain but dates to at least the 15th century.
Battledore and shuttlecock was a precursor to modern badminton and was so popular in medieval times that Shakespeare mentioned it! It's a testament to how ancient games evolve into the sports we play today.
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