Obs. or (in sense 6) arch. Forms: 4 bastun, 4–8 baston, 6 bastoun, bastion, 6–7 bastone, 7 (bastome). [a. OF. baston (mod.F. bâton), cogn. with Sp. baston, Pg. bastão, It. bastone, pointing to a late L. *bastōn-em, of unknown origin: Diez suggests a connection with Gr. βαστάζειν to lift, carry. Replaced in 17th c. by BATOON, and now by BATON; another form is BATTEN.]
1. A staff or stick used as a weapon or a staff of office; a cudgel, club, bat, truncheon; = BATON 1, BATOON 1.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 15827. Wit þair bastons [v.r. bastunes; staues] bete þai him.
1485. Caxton, Chas. Gt. (1880), 182. Florypes … took a baston in her honde.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., III. 1226/1. His baston (a staffe of an ell long made taper wise tipt with horne).
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, IV. i. 102. Armed but lightly, with a short baston or trunchion in his hand.
1598. Stow, Surv. (transl. Fitzstephen), xi. (1603), 93. The schollers of euery schoole haue their ball or bastion in their hands.
1693. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen., 213. A Baston, or batoon, fustis, baculus.
1756. Nugent, Montesquieu’s Spir. Laws (1758), II. XXVIII. xx. 271. In process of time none but bondmen fought with the baston.
2. A stanza, or verse. (Transl. of staff, stave.)
a. 1300. Cursor M., 14923. Es resun þat wee vr rime rune, And set fra nu langer bastune [v.r. bastoun].
c. 1308. in Rel. Ant., II. 175. The clerk that this baston wrowȝte. Ibid., 176. Nis this bastun wel i-piȝte, Euch word him sitte a-riȝte.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., Pref. 99. If it were made in ryme couwee … outhere in couwee or in baston.
3. Her. = BATON 3.
1592. Wyrley, Armorie, 79. Thimperiall egle … In siluer, gulie baston ouer all.
1622. Peacham, Compl. Gentl., III. (1634), 144. A baston … must not touch the Scotcheon at both the ends.
1660. Waterhouse, Arms & Arm., 112. That were … a baston of Allay to that Gentleman who should extenuate the merit of Military Grandees.
4. Card-playing. A club. Cf. BASTO.
1593. Munday, Def. Contraries, 49. The inuenter of the Italian Cardes … put the Deniers or monyes, and the Bastons or clubs in combate togither.
5. Old Law. Title of ‘one of the Warden of the Fleet’s men, who attends the king’s courts with a red staff, for taking such to ward as are committed by the court; and likewise attends on such prisoners as are suffered to go at large by licence.’ Chambers, Cycl., 1727–51 (Cf. tip-staff, gold-stick-in-waiting, etc.) Hence, to go out of prison by baston, to remain in prison without baston.
1366. Act 1 Rich. II., xii. [Whereas diuers people be … suffered to goe at large by the Warden of the prison] alefoitz sanz as-cun maynpris avec une baston de Flete [sometimes without any maineprise with a baston of the Fleet … It is ordained and assented, that … no Warden of the Fleet shall suffer any prisoner] aler hors de prisone par maynpris, baill ne par baston [to go out of prison by mainprise, baile, nor by baston.]
1562. Act 5 Eliz., xxiii. § 8. The same Party … shall remain in the Prison … without Bail, Baston or Mainprize.
1619. Dalton, Countr. Just., cvi. (1630), 273. If the officer shall suffer his prisoners to go abroad for a time, by baile or baston.
1671. F. Philipps, Reg. Necess., 475. Committed to the Tower of London, there to remain one year without bayle, baston or Mainprize.
6. Arch. A round molding at the base of a column, a torus. [So bâton in mod.F.]
1751. Chambers, Cycl., Baston or Batoon … a mould in the base of a column, otherwise called a tore.
1847. in Craig.
