noun
- a quantity or number coming at one time or taken together: a batch of prisoners.
- the quantity of material prepared or required for one operation: mixing a batch of concrete.
- the quantity of bread, cookies, dough, or the like, made at one baking.
- Computers.
- a group of jobs, data, or programs treated as a unit for computer processing.
- batch processing.
- Glassmaking.
- a quantity of raw materials mixed in proper proportions and prepared for fusion into glass.
- the material so mixed.
verb (used with object)
- to combine, mix, or process in a batch.
verb (used without object), noun
- bach.
noun
- a group or set of usually similar objects or people, esp if sent off, handled, or arriving at the same time
- the bread, cakes, etc, produced at one baking
- the amount of a material needed for an operation
- Also called: batch loaf a tall loaf having a close texture and a thick crust on the top and bottom, baked as part of a batch: the sides of each loaf are greased so that they will pull apart after baking to have pale crumby sides; made esp in Scotland and IrelandCompare pan loaf
verb (tr)
- to group (items) for efficient processing
- to handle by batch processing
verb Australian and NZ informal
- (intr) (of a man) to do his own cooking and housekeeping
- to live alone
Old English *bæcce “something baked,” from bacan “bake” (see bake (v.)). Batch is to bake as watch (n.) is to wake and match (n.2) “one of a pair” is to make. Extended 1713 to “any quantity produced at one operation.”