Baton: Encyclopedia - Baton

Baton

Baton refers to:

The term baton refers to any of several types of cylindrical or tapered instruments composed of a wide variety of materials, and of differing functions:

• A baton (billy, billy club, nightstick, riot stick) is a type of striking/parrying weapon, staff or club, typically used by police, military, security personnel or martial artists.
• A baton (symbol) is also used as a symbolic attribute of military or other office.
• Conductors use light-weight batons for directing an orchestra, choir or mixed performers. These are usually very thin, tapered, often with a more substantial handle, and look somewhat like wands.
• Each team of Relay racers carries and passes on (an act that can cost prescious seconds) to each athlete starting his turn a baton, usually cylindrical, holow and made of wood or a lightweight metal.
• A baton is also a light metal rod that is used for keeping time, twirling, and juggling in marching band and parade performances, usually by drum majors or majorettes.
• A baton also refers to the center stick of a set of Devil Sticks, which is twirled and manipulated using one or two control sticks, also called the stick by stick jugglers.

Baton - Expandable Baton

An intermediate-force weapon for law enforcement and security professionals, used to gain control over assaultive subjects. The baton is a cylindrical shaft that contains telescoping metal pieces that lock into each other when expanded. When swung, the extended baton can deal massive damage due to the kinetic energy emitted from its solid metal tip upon striking a surface. Most strikes are done on large muscle areas of the subject in order to avoid permanent injury. Expandable batons come in various sizes, including 16, 21, 26, and 31 inch when extended. Synonyms: telescope baton, extendable baton

Baton - Nouns proper

• Baton (Bato) is a Illyrian-Albanian given name for males.
• Baton (Bato) is the name of a Dardanian king in the 4th century BC.
• Baton (Bato) is the name of two of three leaders of the Illyrian uprising against the Romans in Pannonia in 6 AD.
• BATON is the name of a classified encryption algorithm.
• See also Baton Rouge (capital city of Louisiana, USA).

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Baton", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki