A two-syllable noun or verb referring to a device that stores chemical energy and supplies electrical power. In everyday use, it is most often a noun (the energy storage unit in devices), but as a verb it can mean to put a battery into service or to battery someone in legal terms. The core meaning centers on stored energy used to power devices or systems.
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"The remote control runs on a rechargeable battery."
"She forgot to charge the laptop’s battery before the trip."
"The police charged the suspect with battery after the altercation."
"He installed a fresh battery in the smoke detector."
The word battery originates from the Old French word batterie, from battre meaning 'to beat' or 'to strike', historically referring to a group or series (as in a battery of artillery). In English, the sense expanded in the 17th century to mean a set of items charged with energy, like a collection of charged cells, and by the 19th century to include the devices storing electrical energy. The modern usage as a device that provides power traces through early electricity-related vocabulary and technology. The metaphorical sense of a group of similar things, as in a “battery of tests,” also emerges from the same root idea of a coordinated set of units deployed together. The primary electrical sense becomes dominant by the late 1800s with the advent of portable electrical devices and rechargeable cells. First known uses appear in technical military and scientific writings, then generalize as consumer electronics expand in the 20th century.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "battery" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "battery" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "battery"
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Say BA- tuh-ree with primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈbætəri/. The second syllable is unstressed and often reduced to a quick schwa: /ˈbætəri/ or /ˈbæt(ə)ri/ in rapid speech. In careful articulation you’ll produce a clear /t/ between /æ/ and /ɹ/. Audio references include standard dictionaries and pronunciation tools.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (often saying /ˈbeɪtəri/ with a long /eɪ/) and confusing /t/ with /d/ in rapid speech, leading to /ˈbædəri/. Another pitfall is pronouncing the second syllable as a full syllable with /iː/ instead of a reduced /ri/; aim for a quick /əri/ or /ri/ depending on accent. Practice precise /t/ release between /æ/ and /ɹ/ and maintain a short, unstressed second syllable.
In US English, the second syllable often reduces to a schwa before the final /i/ or /ɪ/ sound, yielding /ˈbætəri/. UK English tends toward a clearer /ə/ in the second syllable with slightly crisper /t/; /ˈbætəri/ is common, with non-rhotic influences affecting the /r/ in some contexts. Australian English similarly has a reduced second syllable and a tapped or flapped or a clear /t/ depending on regional variation; rhoticity is variable. Overall, stress remains on the first syllable in all three.
The difficulty lies in the fast, reduced second syllable and the crisp /t/ between a short /æ/ and /ɹ/. Learners often tilt toward a long /i/ or insert extra vowel sounds in the second syllable, producing /ˈbætəri/ or /ˈbeɪtəri/. Also, length and timing of the /t/ release and the /ɹ/ can shift with accents. Practicing with IPA guidance and listening to native models helps stabilize the rhythm and the subtle vowel reductions.
The critical feature is the unstressed second syllable that often reduces to a schwa or a quick /ɪ/‑like vowel, making the cadence BA-tuh-ry or BAT-uh-ree depending on speed and accent. The /t/ is a true plosive in careful speech but can be flapped in rapid American speech between vowels, causing a softer touch. Maintaining a clear but brief /ɹ/ at the end helps preserve the natural American and British pronunciations.
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