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battledore

Games
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Battledore is the racket or paddle used to strike the shuttlecock in the traditional game of battledore and shuttlecock.

Detailed Definition
Battledore appears in poetry as an emblem of the instrument of exchange and the tool of playful combat. In historical verse it symbolizes the means of keeping the shuttlecock aloft. Poets invoke the battledore to illustrate themes of active participation, the striking that continues the play, and the cultural pastime that links physical skill to social intercourse.
Example
Example in poetry:
The battledore’s flat face keeps the shuttlecock alive in poems of reciprocal play; Traditional verse uses battledore and shuttlecock for the polite exchange of the parlor or lawn; “Their battledores spoke a language of soft returns” illustrates sustained courtesy; Educational examples present the paddle as the ancestor of the modern racket; The game becomes a figure for any conversation that must not be allowed to drop.
Additional Notes
The battledore’s flat face keeps the shuttlecock aloft and therefore becomes a figure for any sustained and gentle reciprocity. The word’s antique flavor allows poets to evoke an older, more domestic form of play. Instructors may pair battledore with shuttlecock to show the complete equipment of the ancestral game. Related modern forms include the badminton racket. The image rewards attention to the soft, repetitive labor required to keep the exchange alive.
Also Known As
racket paddle striking board
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