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batch

n. · v.
US //ˈbætʃ// UK //bˈætʃ// batch
  1. 1 a group of items (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a group of things that are made, delivered, or dealt with at one time.

    a quantity of goods produced or dispatched at one time, or a collection of similar items handled as a single unit.

    Example

    I baked a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies for the party.

    Example

    The warehouse manager confirmed that the latest batch of components had arrived with several significant defects in the packaging.
  2. 2 computing data (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Computing

    a set of data or computer jobs that are processed all at once.

    a set of data or instructions processed by a computer as a single continuous operation without manual intervention.

    Example

    The system processes the batch of invoices every night at midnight.

    Example

    The server crashed while attempting to execute a large batch of automated updates during the scheduled maintenance window.
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  1. 3 a bread roll (n.)
    C2 Proficiency British English Dialect Cooking

    a small, round piece of bread.

    a regional term for a bread roll, specifically used in parts of the English Midlands.

    Example

    He bought a bacon batch from the local bakery for breakfast.

    Example

    While 'roll' is common elsewhere, a customer in Coventry would typically ask for a 'batch' when ordering a sandwich.
  2. 4 to group together (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to put things into groups so they can be dealt with together.

    to arrange or collect items into groups for more efficient processing. Transitive use.

    Example

    You can save time if you batch your emails and answer them all at once.

    Example

    The software is designed to batch incoming requests to reduce the load on the central database during peak hours.
Etymology 1

From Middle English bach, bache, bahche, from Old English bæċċ (“something baked”), of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-West Germanic bakku, from Proto-Germanic *bakkuz (“baking, baked goods”), cognate with Middle High German becke (“something baked, pastry, baking, bakery”). Related also to Old English bacan (“to bake”), Old English ġebæc (“something baked”), Dutch gebak, German Gebäck, Dutch baksel.

Etymology 2

From Middle English bache, bæcche, from Old English bæċ, beċe (“brook, stream”). Doublet of beck. More at beach.

Etymology 3

Clipping of bachelor (“unmarried adult male”).

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