Batter

Batter is a semi-fluid mixture of flour, liquid, and often eggs used in cooking. It can be thin enough to pour or thick enough to coat. Common batters include pancake, tempura, and cake batters. Leavening agents help create air pockets; eggs act as emulsifiers and binders. Batter differs from dough in hydration and handling, and is usually mixed briefly to keep gluten development minimal.

In sports, the batter refers to the player who bats in baseball or softball. The batter's objective is to reach base or drive in runs by hitting pitched balls. The batter stands in the batter's box and uses a bat to contact the ball. Batting statistics, including batting average and on-base percentage, summarize performance and are used to evaluate players.

In architecture and construction, batter indicates the incline of a wall or bank, thicker at the base to provide stability. Walls with a batter slope are common in historic fortifications and in terraced earthworks. The term can also appear as a verb: to batter means to strike with repeated blows.