# batch

/ˈbætʃ/ (US) · /bˈætʃ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/batch
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. a group of items

noun · CEFR B1

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

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

- I baked a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies for the party.
- The warehouse manager confirmed that the latest batch of components had arrived with several significant defects in the packaging.

### 2. computing data

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

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

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

- The system processes the batch of invoices every night at midnight.
- The server crashed while attempting to execute a large batch of automated updates during the scheduled maintenance window.

### 3. a bread roll

noun · CEFR C2 · British English · Dialect

a small, round piece of bread.

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

- He bought a bacon batch from the local bakery for breakfast.
- While 'roll' is common elsewhere, a customer in Coventry would typically ask for a 'batch' when ordering a sandwich.

### 4. to group together

verb · CEFR B2

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

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

- You can save time if you batch your emails and answer them all at once.
- The software is designed to batch incoming requests to reduce the load on the central database during peak hours.

## Examples

- I baked a fresh batch of cookies for the party.
- The system processes the payroll in a single batch every Friday night to save on computing resources.
- The quality control team rejected the entire batch of components after discovering a recurring structural flaw that compromised the safety of the final assembly.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.