Also called galvanic battery, voltaic battery. Electricity. a combination of two or more cells electrically connected to work together to produce electric energy. See also cell (def. 7a).
any large group or series of related things: a battery of questions.
Military.
two or more pieces of artillery used for combined action.
a tactical unit of artillery, usually consisting of six guns together with the artillerymen, equipment, etc., required to operate them.
a parapet or fortification equipped with artillery.
a group or series of similar articles, machines, parts, etc.
Baseball. the pitcher and catcher considered as a unit.
Navy.
(on a warship) a group of guns having the same caliber or used for the same purpose.
the whole armament of a warship.
Psychology. a series of tests yielding a single total score, used for measuring aptitude, intelligence, personality, etc.
the act of beating or battering.
Law. an unlawful attack upon another person by beating or wounding, or by touching in an offensive manner.
an instrument used in battering.
Also batterie. Music. the instruments comprising the percussion section of an orchestra.
any imposing group of persons or things acting or directed in unison: a battery of experts.
Origin of battery
First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French batterie, equivalent to batt(re) “to beat” + -erie noun suffix; see bate2, -ery
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH battery
assault, battery
Words nearby battery
battering, battering ram, batter pile, batter's box, Battersea, battery, battery jar, bat the breeze, Batticaloa, battik, batting
Definition for battery (2 of 2)
Battery
[ bat-uh-ree ]
/ ˈbæt ə ri /
noun
The Battery,a park at the south end of Manhattan, in New York City.
Demand was low, driving range was limited and battery degradation was a concern.
Of all used cars, this Tesla model sells the fastest|Verne Kopytoff|August 24, 2020|Fortune
After our success recycling metals from discarded computers, scientists are trying other types of e-waste, including electric batteries.
We’re Using Microbes to Clean Up Toxic Electronic Waste. Here’s How|Sebastien Farnaud|August 20, 2020|Singularity Hub
His team at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles turned to methanol because in a given mass, it packs over 10 times the energy as tiny batteries.
Methanol fuel gives this tiny beetle bot the freedom to roam|Carmen Drahl|August 19, 2020|Science News
While lithium ion battery technology has seen dramatic price drops in recent years, most experts agree that they will remain too expensive for grid-scale storage.
Scientists Found a Way to Turn Bricks Into Batteries|Edd Gent|August 17, 2020|Singularity Hub
Note how much quieter Spot is thanks to an onboard battery and electric motor.
The Robot Revolution Was Televised: Our All-Time Favorite Boston Dynamics Robot Videos|Jason Dorrier|July 19, 2020|Singularity Hub
Karajah was charged with two felony counts of assault and battery.
The Ten Worst Uber Horror Stories|Olivia Nuzzi|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They peered out into the gloom from Battery Park and could not make out her form.
128 Years Old and Still a Looker: Happy Birthday to Lady Liberty|Elizabeth Mitchell|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And for most of its existence, Tesla has relied on a single supplier for the battery cells: Panasonic.
From the Model T to the Model S|The Daily Beast|September 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
General Grant issued a general order that “every battery bearing upon the enemy” fire in salute.
Atlanta’s Fall Foretold The End Of Civil War Bloodshed|Marc Wortman|September 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The gadget goes for $75 and can be reused nearly 40 times before the battery needs to be recharged.
New Gadget Detects Date Rape Drugs, But Will Women Use It?|Natalie Raschke|July 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The lights are used both by the aeroplane and the battery of artillery.
Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War|Frederick A. Talbot
If the battery has glass jars, the height of the electrolyte can be seen easily.
The Automobile Storage Battery|O. A. Witte
I think we were about fifty yards away from the battery when a big shell burst, or at least a "Jack Johnson" as the boys call it.
What the "Boys" Did Over There|Various
Beaulieu had placed a battery of thirty cannon so as to completely sweep every plank of the bridge.
Military Career of Napoleon the Great|Montgomery B. Gibbs
Soon as Ricketts gets his guns in battery, his men and horses begin to fall, under the fire of these sharpshooters.
The Great Conspiracy, Part 3.|John Alexander Logan
British Dictionary definitions for battery
battery
/ (ˈbætərɪ) /
nounplural-teries
two or more primary cells connected together, usually in series, to provide a source of electric current
short for dry battery
another name for accumulator (def. 1)
a number of similar things occurring togethera battery of questions
criminal lawunlawful beating or wounding of a person or mere touching in a hostile or offensive mannerSee also assault and battery
a fortified structure on which artillery is mounted
a group of guns, missile launchers, searchlights, or torpedo tubes of similar type or size operated as a single entity
a small tactical unit of artillery usually consisting of two or more troops, each of two, three or four guns
mainlyBritish
a large group of cages for intensive rearing of poultry
(as modifier)battery hens
psychola series of tests
chesstwo pieces of the same colour placed so that one can unmask an attack by the other by moving
the percussion section in an orchestra
baseballthe pitcher and the catcher considered together
Word Origin for battery
C16: from Old French batterie beating, from battre to beat, from Latin battuere
A device containing an electric cell or a series of electric cells storing energy that can be converted into electrical power (usually in the form of direct current). Common household batteries, such as those used in a flashlight, are usually made of dry cells (the chemicals producing the current are made into a paste). In other batteries, such as car batteries, these chemicals are in liquid form.
A Closer Look
A battery stores chemical energy, which it converts to electrical energy. A typical battery, such as a car battery, is composed of an arrangement of galvanic cells. Each cell contains two metal electrodes, separate from each other, immersed within an electrolyte containing both positive and negative ions. A chemical reaction between the electrodes and the electrolyte, similar to that found in electroplating, takes place, and the metals dissolve in the electrolyte, leaving electrons behind on the electrodes. However, the metals dissolve at different rates, so a greater number of electrons accumulate at one electrode (creating the negative electrode) than at the other electrode (which becomes the positive electrode). This gives rise to an electric potential between the electrodes, which are typically linked together in series and parallel to one another in order to provide the desired voltage at the battery terminals (12 volts, for example, for a car battery). The buildup of charge on the electrodes prevents the metals from dissolving further, but if the battery is hooked up to an electric circuit through which current may flow, electrons are drawn out of the negative electrodes and into the positive ones, reducing their charge and allowing further chemical reactions.