Bats

Definition: Bats

Bats

Adjective

1. Informal or slang terms for mentally irregular.

Date "bats" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1550. (references)

Domain	Definitions
Dream Interpretation	Awful is the fate of the unfortunate dreamer of this ugly animal. Sorrows and calamities from hosts of evil work against you. Death of parents and friends, loss of limbs or sight, may follow after a dream of these ghoulish monsters. A white bat is almost a sure sign of death. Often the death of a child follows this dream. Source: Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted ....
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

For the flying mammal see bat

Bats is a name of a Caucasian folk and a language (belonging to the Nakh group of languages).

External links

http://www.eki.ee/books/redbook/bats.shtml

The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted.
Entry	Source	Expression	Field
BATS	English	Basic Additional Teleprocessing System	Computing, Post & Telecom
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

Synonyms: Bats

Synonyms: balmy (adj), barmy (adj), batty (adj), bonkers (adj), buggy (adj), cracked (adj), crackers (adj), daft (adj), dotty (adj), fruity (adj), haywire (adj), kookie (adj), kooky (adj), loco (adj), loony (adj), loopy (adj), nuts (adj), nutty (adj), wacky (adj). (additional references)

Domain	Usage
Screenplays	May our feet be swift; may our bats be mighty; may our balls be plentiful. (A League of Their Own; writing credit: Kim Wilson; Kelly Candaele) Y'know, I read this in the newspaper. We should go down there, get some guys together, y'know, get some bricks and baseball bats and really explain things to them. (Manhattan; writing credit: Woody Allen ; Marshall Brickman) There could be bats up there. (Saved by the Bell; writing credit: Ana Maria Moretzsohn) Bats aren't rodents, Dr. Meridian. (Batman Forever; writing credit: Bob Kane; Lee Batchler) And what's more, none of their supposed mutual friends protects her. None of them bats a fucking eyelash at his hypocrisy. (Igby Goes Down; writing credit: Burr Steers)
Lyrics	Playin' baseball with chert rocks, usin' sawmill slabs for bats. ("Mountain Music"; performing artist: ALABAMA)
Movie/TV Titles	Bats in the Belfry (1960) Casey Bats Again (1954) Bats in the Belfry (1942) The Bats (1999)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Domain	Title
Books	America's Neighborhood Bats (reference) Bats (reference) Bats (Zoobooks Series) (reference) Bats in Question: The Smithsonian Answer Book (reference) Pool Cues, Beer Bottles, And Baseball Bats : Animal's Guide To Improvised Weapons For Self-Defense (reference) (more book examples)

Periodicals	Bats (reference) (more periodical examples)

Theater & Movies	Kids Discover Bats (reference) (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Music	Roger Vogel: Cats and Bats and Things with Wings (reference) Tapdancin' Bats (reference) (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Thumbnail	Description & Credit	Thumbnail	Description & Credit
	The vast majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes.Credit: CDC.		Different species of bats, with details of heads, wing and teeth structure] / Fournier, sc. ; N. Remond, imp.Credit: Library of Congress.
	Ty Cobb, Detroit, and Joe Jackson, Cleveland, standing alongside each other, each holding bats.Credit: Library of Congress.		Battery of machines for converting cotton bats into cotton ropes. Laurel mills, Laurel, Mississippi.Credit: Library of Congress.
	Detail of process of making cotton ropes from cotton bats. Laurel mills, Mississippi.Credit: Library of Congress.		Cotton bats, Laurel cotton mills. Laurel, Mississippi.Credit: Library of Congress.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Author	Quotation
Francis Bacon	Suspicion amongst thoughts are like bats amongst birds, they never fly by twilight.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Title	Author	Quote
Grapes of Wrath	Steinbeck, John	The evening bats flashed into the firelight and out again.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Subject	Topic	Quote
Health		Such bats are often the most easily approached. (references)
		Bats help pollinate some plants and spread plant seeds. (references)
		Only about 1 in 1000 normal-acting bats may have rabies. (references)
Human Rights	United Kingdom	The attackers have used iron pipes, baseball bats, sledgehammers, and spiked clubs to beat their victims or shot them in the knees and legs. (references)
	Macedonia	According to Amnesty International, on June 10 in Skopje, police arrested an ethnic-Albanian officer of the Macedonian army and allegedly beat him with metal bars and wooden bats while in custody. (references)
Minorities	Yugoslavia	On March 1, a group of skinheads attacked a group of Roma in Belgrade with baseball bats, sticks and rocks. (references)
Lexicography	Devil's Dictionary	FEMALE, n. One of the opposing, or unfair, sex. The Maker, at Creation's birth, With living things had stocked the earth. From elephants to bats and snails, They all were good, for all were males. But when the Devil came and saw He said: "By Thine eternal law Of growth, maturity, decay, These all must quickly pass away And leave untenanted the earth Unless Thou dost establish birth" -- Then tucked his head beneath his wing To laugh -- he had no sleeve -- the thing With deviltry did so accord, That he'd suggested to the Lord. The Master pondered this advice, Then shook and threw the fateful dice Wherewith all matters here below Are ordered, and observed the throw; Then bent His head in awful state, Confirming the decree of Fate. From every part of earth anew The conscious dust consenting flew, While rivers from their courses rolled To make it plastic for the mould. Enough collected (but no more, For niggard Nature hoards her store) He kneaded it to flexible clay, While Nick unseen threw some away. And then the various forms He cast, Gross organs first and finer last; No one at once evolved, but all By even touches grew and small Degrees advanced, till, shade by shade, To match all living things He'd made Females, complete in all their parts Except (His clay gave out) the hearts. "No matter," Satan cried; "with speed I'll fetch the very hearts they need" -- So flew away and soon brought back The number needed, in a sack. That night earth range with sounds of strife -- Ten million males each had a wife; That night sweet Peace her pinions spread O'er Hell -- ten million devils dead! G.J.
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Speaker	Phrase(s)
Rush Limbaugh	The answer is more baseball bats, more pianos, more homes, more of the beautiful things you can do with trees once you chop them down.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

"Bats" is generally used as a noun (plural) -- approximately 91.94% of the time. "Bats" is used about 397 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)

Parts of Speech	Percent	Usage per 100 Million Words	Rank in English
Noun (plural)	91.94%	365	14,817
Lexical Verb (-s form)	5.54%	22	74,468
Noun (proper)	2.52%	10	111,207
Total	100.00%	397	N/A

Expressions using "bats": have bats in one's belfry ♦ have bats in the belfry. Additional references.
Hypenated Usage
	Ending with "bats": at-bats, cricket-bats, disco-bats, fruit-bats, Half-bats, man-bats, u-bats.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Language		Translations for "bats"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Chinese		蝙� (BAT). (various references)

Dutch		vleermuizen. (various references)

French		chiroptères. (various references)

German		Schlagkeulen, Fledermäuse. (various references)

Greek		χειρόπτερα. (various references)

Hungarian		eszelős (delirious, have bats in the belfry, queer, queer in the head), bele van pistulva vmibe (to be bats about sg, to be bats over sg), bele van habarodva vmibe (to be bats about sg, to be bats over sg). (various references)

Italian		chirotteri. (various references)

Korean		박쥐 (BAT). (various references)

Pig Latin		atsbay

Portuguese		quirópteros morcegos. (various references)

Romanian		avea gãrgãuni în cap (have bats in one's belfry). (various references)

Russian		сходить с ума (be demented, become demented, go bats, go berserker, go mad, mad, madden, run mad). (various references)

Turkish		kafayı yemek (be touched, go haywire, go nuts, have bats in the belfry, run off the rails), kafayı üşütmek (go bananas, go barmy, have bats in the belfry), aklından zoru olmak (have bats in the belfry). (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

Language	Period	Translations
Latin	500 BCE-Modern	Chiroptera. (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Language	Date	Source	Isaiah Chapter 2, Verse 20
Greek (transliterated)	250 BC	Septuagint	Th gar hmera ekeinh ekbalei anqrwpoV ta bdelugmata autou ta argura kai ta crusa a epoihsan proskunein toiV mataioiV kai taiV nukterisin
Latin	405	Vulgate	In die illa proiciet homo idola argenti sui et simulacra auri sui quae fecerat sibi ut adoraret talpas et vespertiliones
Middle English	1395	Wyclif	In that day shal a man throwe awey the maumetes of his siluer, and the symulacris of his gold, that he hadde mad to hym, that he shulde honoure moldewerpes and reremees.
Jacobean English	1611	King James	In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;
Victorian English	1833	Webster	In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;
Basic English	1964	Ogden	In that day men will put their images of silver and of gold, which they made for worship, in the keeping of the beasts of the dark places;
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Language	Isaiah Chapter 2, Verse 20
Bulgarian	�' оня ден човека ще хвърли на къртовете и на прилепите Сребърните идоли и златните идоли, Които си е направил за да им се кланя,
Cebuano	Niadtong adlawa igasalikway sa mga tawo ang ilang mga larawan nga salapi, ug ang ilang mga larawan nga bulawan, nga gibuhat aron simbahon nila, igasalibay ngadto sa mga ilaga ug sa mga kabug:
Chinese	到那日、人必將為拜而 � 的金偶像、銀偶像、拋給 �"� � 、 �'� 蝙 � ．
Croatian	U dan onaj: bacit æe svaki svoje srebro i zlatne kumire koje sebi naèini da im se klanja,
Danish	På hin Dag skal Mennesket slænge sine Guder af Sølv og Guld, som han lavede sig for at tilbede dem, hen til Muldvarpe og Flagermus
Dutch	In dien dag zal de mens zijn zilveren afgoden, en zijn gouden afgoden, welke zij zich gemaakt hadden, om zich daarvoor neder te buigen, wegwerpen voor de mollen en de vledermuizen;
Finnish	Sinä päivänä ihmiset viskaavat pois myyrille ja yököille hopea- ja kultajumalansa, jotka he ovat tehneet kumarrettaviksensa.
French	En ce jour, les hommes jetteront Leurs idoles d`argent et leurs idoles d`or, Qu`ils s`étaient faites pour les adorer, Aux rats et aux chauves-souris;
German	Zu der Zeit wird jedermann wegwerfen seine silbernen und goldenen Götzen, die er sich hat machen lassen, anzubeten, in die Löcher der Maulwürfe und der Fledermäuse,
Haitian Creole	Jou sa a, moun va pran tout zidòl yo te fè an ajan ak an lò pou fè sèvis pou yo, y'a voye yo jete bay rat ak chovsourit.
Hungarian	Ama napon odadobja az ember ezüst bálványait és arany bálványait, miket magának csinált, hogy azok elõtt meghajoljon, a vakondokoknak és denevéreknek,
Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hari	(2:19)
Indonesian-Terjemahan Lama	Maka pada hari itu juga tiap-tiap orang akan membuang segala berhala emas dan segala berhala perak, yang telah diperbuatnya akan menyembah sujud kepadanya, dan dicampakkannya kepada dandam dan kelelawar,
Italian	In quel giorno ognuno getter� gli idoli d'argento e gli idoli d'oro, che si era fatto per adorarli, ai topi e ai pipistrelli,
Korean	사 람 이 숭 배 하 � � � 만 �"� 었 던 그 은 우 상 과 금 우 상 을 그 � 에 두 �" 쥐 와 박 쥐 에 게 던 지 �
Maori	A taua ra ka akiritia atu e te tangata ana whakapakoko hiriwa me ana whakapakoko koura i hanga e ratou hei koropikotanga mana, ki nga kiore, ki nga pekapeka;
Modern Greek	Εν εκεινη τη ημερα θελει ριψει ο ανθρωπος εις τους ασπαλακας και εις τας νυκτεριδας τα αργυρα αυτου ειδωλα και τα χρυσα αυτου ειδωλα, τα οποια εκαμεν εις εαυτον δια να προσκυνη·
Norwegian	På den dag skal menneskene kaste sine guder av sølv og gull, som de har gjort sig for å tilbede dem, bort til muldvarpene og flaggermusene
Portuguese	Naquele dia o homem lançará � s toupeiras e aos morcegos os seus ídolos de prata, e os seus ídolos de ouro, que fizeram para ante eles se prostrarem,
Rumanian	Kn ziua aceea, oamenii kwi vor arunca idolii de argint wi idolii de aur pe cari wi -i fqcuserq, ca sq se knchine la ei, ki vor arunca la wobolani wi la lilieci;
Russian	ч ФПФ �"ЕОШ ЮЕМПЧЕЛ �'ТПУЙФ ЛТПФБН Й МЕФХЮЙН НЩЫБН УЕТЕ�'ТСОЩИ УЧПЙИ Й�"ПМПЧ Й ЪПМПФЩИ УЧПЙИ Й�"ПМПЧ, ЛПФПТЩИ У�"ЕМБМ УЕ�'Е �"МС � ПЛМПОЕОЙС ЙН,
Spanish	En aquel día los hombres arrojarán a los topos y a los murciélagos sus ídolos de plata y sus ídolos de oro que habían hecho para adorarlos,
Swedish	På den dagen skola människorna kasta bort åt mullvadar och flädermöss de avgudar av silver och de avgudar av guld, som de hava gjort åt sig för att tillbedja.
Thai	ในวันนั้นคนจะเหวี่ยงรูปเคารพของตนออกไปอันทำ�"้วยเงิน และรูปเคารพของตนที่ทำ�"้วยทองคำ ซึ่งเขาทำไว้เพื่อตนเองจะนมัสการ ไปยังตัวตุ่นและตัวค้างคาว
Ukrainian	Покине людина того дня божків своїх срібних і божків своїх золотих, що собі наробила була, щоб вклонятись кротам і кажанам,
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Derivations
	Words beginning with "bats": batsman, batsmen. (additional references)
	Words ending with "bats": acrobats, brickbats, bullbats, combats, dingbats, numbats, rabats, sabbats, wombats. (additional references)
	Words containing "bats": zaibatsu. (additional references)
Misspellings
	"Bats" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: abast, abst, Abts, bachs, bacs, Bafs, bahs, bahts, bajs, Bajt, baps, Basti, basts, basty, bata, Batco, Bati, batm, bato, Batse, Batsi, batsy, batt, batts, batu, batus, Bcatp, betst, betts, betz, bhats, Bista, bitc, bith, Bitsa, Bitz, botsa, botsi, bte, bts, bwat, bwt, byast, dbfast. (additional references)
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

# of Phoneme Matches	Pronunciation	Word(s) rhyming with "bats" (pronounced ba"ts)
4	b a" t s	batts, combats.
3	-a" t s	brats, cats, chats, fats, flats, gnats, hats, Kats, mats, mattes, Matts, pats, prats, rats, slats, spats, stats, vats.
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Direct Anagrams: bast, stab, tabs.
	Words within the letters "a-b-s-t"
	-1 letter: abs, bas, bat, sab, sat, tab, tas.
	-2 letters: ab, as, at, ba, ta.
	Words containing the letters "a-b-s-t"
	+1 letter: abets, abuts, bahts, baits, baste, basts, bates, baths, batts, beast, beats, betas, blast, blats, boast, boats, botas, brats, sabot, stabs, tabes, tabus, tsuba, tubas.
	+2 letters: abates, abatis, abbots, ablest, aborts, absent, ambits, barest, basalt, basest, basket, basset, basted, baster, bastes, bathes, bathos, batiks, batons, beasts, beauts, bettas, biotas, blasts, blasty, bleats, bloats, boarts, boasts, bracts, brants, breast, bypast, habits, jabots, oblast, rabats, sabbat, sabots, sacbut, sagbut, stable, stably, tabbis, tabers, tablas, tables, taboos, tabors, tabuns, tibias.
	+3 letters: abaters, abators, abattis, abducts, ablates, ablauts, abreast, absents, absinth, abstain, abvolts, abwatts, albatas, albites, arbutes, arbutus, astilbe, atabals, autobus, babysat, babysit, backset, baddest, baguets, baiters, balatas, baldest, ballast, ballets, ballots, bandits, bannets, bantams, banters, banties, baptise, baptism, baptist, barbets, barbuts, barites, barrets, barters, barytas, barytes, basalts, basinet, baskets, basmati, bassets, bassist, bastard, basters, bastile, basting, bastion, batboys, batches, batfish, bathers, batiste, batsman, batsmen, battens, batters, battiks, battles, battues, bawsunt, bawties, beastie, beastly, beaters, bedfast, berates, berthas, bestead, bestial, betakes, betrays, bezants, bhaktas, bhaktis, bistate, blasted, blaster, blastie, boasted, boaster, boatels, boaters, bobcats, bobstay, bombast, bonitas, borates, borstal, bravest, brawest, breasts, breaths, brisant, britska, bursate, bustard, butanes, buttals, bypaths, bytalks, byzants, cablets, cambist, cobalts, combats, dabster, debates, gabfest, gambits, habitus, hagbuts, isobath, labrets, lambast, mastaba, numbats, oblasti, oblasts, oblates, obtains, paystub, postbag, rabatos, rabbets, rabbits, ratbags, rebaits, rebates, rebatos, robusta, rubatos, sabaton, sabbath, sabbats, sacbuts, sackbut, sagbuts, saltbox, saxtuba, seaboot, setback, sorbate, stabbed, stabber, stabile, stabled, stabler, stables, standby, stibial, subatom, sublate, subpart, subtask, subtaxa, sunbath, tabards, tabbies, tablets, tabours, tabulis, tambacs, tambaks, tamburs, tarbush, terbias, timbals, tombacs, tombaks, tubaist, turbans, tymbals, upbeats, washtub, wombats.
	+4 letters: abatises, abettals, abetters, abettors, abluents, aborters, abreacts, absented, absentee, absenter, absently, absinthe, absinths, absolute, absonant, abstains, absterge, abstract, abstrict, abstruse, abuttals, abutters, acerbest, acrobats, adhibits, airboats, airburst, ambients, antbears, antibias, antiboss, antisnob, arbalest, arbalist, arbelest, arbiters, arborist, asbestic, asbestos, asbestus, astilbes, babbitts, babysits, backcast, backfits, backlist, backmost, backouts, backrest, backseat, backsets, backstab, backstay, backstop, baggiest, bailouts, balkiest, ballasts, ballista, ballutes, balmiest, baluster, banister, banjoist, banquets, bantengs, baptised, baptises, baptisia, baptisms, baptists, baptizes, barghest, barguest, barkiest, barmiest, barniest, baronets, barstool, bartends, bartisan, basaltes, basaltic, basement, basicity, basinets, basketry, basmatis, basseted, bassinet, bassists, bastards, bastardy, bastiles, bastille, bastings, bastions, batchers, batfowls, bathless, bathmats, bathoses, bathtubs, batistes, battiest, battings, battlers, bauxites, bawdiest, bayonets, beadiest, beakiest, beamiest, bearcats, beasties, beatings, beatless, beatniks, beauties, bedmates, bedstand, bedstead, bedstraw, beltways, bepaints, berettas, besteads, bestiary, bestowal, betaines, bethanks, bethesda, bezzants, bigamist, bimetals, birettas, blackest, blandest, blankest, blankets, blastema, blasters, blastier, blasties, blasting, blastoff, blastoma, blastula, blathers, blatters, bleakest, bleaters, bloaters, boasters, boastful, boasting, boatfuls, boatings, boatsman, boatsmen, bobstays, bobtails, bombasts, borstals, botanies, botanise, botanist, brachets, brackets, braggest, brakiest, brashest, brassart, brattish, brattles, breadths, breasted, breathes, britskas, britzkas, britzska, broadest, bromates, bullbats, bumboats, bushgoat, bustards, butanols, butyrals, cabalist, cabarets, cabestro, cabinets, cabresta, cabresto, cabstand, cambists, castable, catawbas, catbirds, catboats, cohabits, cutbacks, cutbanks, dabsters, database, daubiest, debaters, diabetes, dingbats, dirtbags, drabbest, drabbets, eatables, epiblast, fabulist, fastback, fastball, fatbacks, fatbirds, flatbeds, flyboats, gabbarts, gabbiest, gabfests, gigabits, gunboats, gustable, habitans, habitats, habitues, hackbuts, halberts, halibuts, hatbands, hatboxes, hautbois, hautboys, iceboats, inhabits, instable, isobaths, jetbeads, labiates, lambaste, lambasts, lamberts, lambiest, librates, listable, mastabah, mastabas, megabits, myoblast, nestable, niobates, notables, obeisant, obstacle, obviates, offbeats, orbitals, outbacks, outbakes, outbarks, outbawls, outbeams, outboast, outbrags, paystubs, pigboats, postbags, postbase, potables, probates, rarebits, ratsbane, rebaters, redbaits, retables, robustas, rowboats, rustable, sabatons, sabbaths, sabbatic, sabotage, saboteur, sackbuts, sailboat, saltbush, satiable, satiably, saxtubas, scatback, seaboots, seatbelt, setbacks, showboat, sibilant, sibilate, slotback, snakebit, softback, softball, sorbates, sortable, sortably, spitball, stabbers, stabbing, stabiles, stablers, stablest, stabling, stablish, standbys, statable, stonable, stopbank, storable, stowable, strobila, subabbot, subacute, subadult, subagent, subatoms, subcaste, sublated, sublates, subovate, subparts, subshaft, substage, substate, subtasks, subtaxon, subtopia, subtotal, subtract, subulate, suitable, suitably, sunbathe, sunbaths, surfboat, sweatbox, sybarite, tabanids, tabarets, tabbises, tabetics, tableaus, tabloids, taborers, taborets, taborins, taboulis, tallboys, tambalas, tambours, tamburas, tanbarks, tarboosh, tastable, taxables, taxicabs, teabowls, teaboxes, testable, tiebacks, timbales, tobaccos, tollbars, tombacks, tombolas, towboats, tribades, tribasic, tubaists, tugboats, typebars, unstable, unstably, urbanest, urbanist, vibrants, vibrates, vibratos, washtubs, wastable, wetbacks, zaibatsu.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.