What does battery mean?
A battery is a device that converts stored chemical energy into electrical energy, providing a portable and reliable source of power for everything from hearing aids and phones to cars and grid-scale storage installations. Most batteries consist of one or more electrochemical cells, each containing electrodes and an electrolyte; primary batteries are discarded once depleted, while secondary (rechargeable) batteries can be restored by passing current through them. Beyond electronics, the word carries two older senses: it can mean an organized array of similar items — famously a battery of artillery guns — and, in law, it refers to the unlawful physical striking of another person, usually paired with assault. The term entered English from French batterie, meaning 'a beating', which explains why Franklin's early electrical apparatus was called a battery: it delivered a shock. Ubiquitous and largely invisible in modern life, the battery has become central to conversations about energy, technology, and sustainability.
A device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy, typically composed of one or more cells, serving as a portable power source.
"The remote control stopped working until we replaced its battery."
Often modified by type or size: lithium-ion battery, AA battery, car battery.
An organized set or array of similar things operating together, such as a battery of artillery guns or a battery of medical tests.
"The hospital ran a full battery of blood tests before the surgery."
In criminal and tort law, the unlawful application of physical force against another person, involving actual bodily contact rather than merely the threat of it.
"He was charged with assault and battery following the bar fight."
Usually discussed alongside assault; the pair forms the fixed legal phrase 'assault and battery'.
The standard plural follows regular English formation. Note that in the artillery sense, 'battery' can function collectively, so a single 'battery' may already refer to multiple guns.
"We keep a drawer full of spare batteries for the flashlights."
The word 'battery' originally meant a beating — Benjamin Franklin borrowed it in the 1740s to describe a 'battery' of linked glass plates delivering an electric shock, and the name stuck.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of battery
Battery derives from the French batterie, from Old French batre meaning 'to beat', ultimately from Latin battuere, 'to strike'. It first appeared in English in the sixteenth century referring to the bombardment of fortifications by artillery, and by extension came to denote a unit of guns or their emplacement. The electrical sense was introduced in the mid-eighteenth century, when Benjamin Franklin applied the military metaphor to a row of connected Leyden jars capable of delivering a powerful combined discharge. Cognates sharing the same Latin root include batter, battle, combat, and beat.
Related word forms
How battery is actually used
Battery is a common noun in everyday speech with no strong register constraints. The legal sense (assault and battery) belongs to formal and technical contexts. In British English, a depleted battery is often called 'flat', while American English more commonly says 'dead'.
Easily confused with battery
In law, assault is the threat or attempt of physical harm, while battery is the actual physical contact or striking.