[f. BEAT v. + -ER1.] He who, or that which, beats. (In various senses of the vb.)
1. A person who beats; one who strikes repeated blows, a striker; a punisher; one who ‘beats’ or walks the streets (obs.); one who beats metals, e.g., a gold-beater; one who beats a drum, etc.
1483. Cath. Angl., 39. A beter, verberator … baculator.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys (1570), 116. Of night watchers and beters of the stretes, playing by night on instrumentes.
1571. Ascham, Scholem. (1863), 11. Even the wisest of your great beaters, do as oft punishe nature, as they do correcte faultes.
1647. R. Stapylton, Juvenal, 45. He must the hand that bastinades him kisse; And give his beater thanks with all his heart.
b. A man employed in rousing and driving game.
1825. Ford, Handbk. Spain, i. 105. The intelligence with which these Spanish beaters track and recover a wounded deer.
1859. Tennent, Ceylon, II. VIII. iv. 350. The beaters address themselves to drive in the elephants.
c. In comb., as beater up.
1711. E. Ward, Vulg. Brit., VIII. 87. Who were beholders of these the Beaters up for Soldiers.
2. An instrument or contrivance for beating; generally, an implement for beating flat or pounding; but used in many specific technical senses; see quotations.
1611. Cotgr., Eschandole … Thatchers Beater. Ibid., Rabat … a beater, the staffe wherwith Plaisterers beat their morter.
1632. Sherwood, s.v. Ball, A Printer’s ball, Pompet, or beater.
1727. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Building, The mortar must be well beaten with a beater.
1828. Steuart, Planter’s G., 303. Wooden Beater, made in the fashion of the beater used by paviers.
1851. Coal-tr. Terms. Northumbld. & Durh., Beater, an iron rod, used for stemming or tamping a hole, preparatory to blasting.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 210/1. The beater [in cotton-spinning] … is composed of two, and sometimes three iron bars or blades.
1883. Gd. Words, July, 442/1. Pounding it [rice] in a wooden or stone mortar with hard wooden beaters.
1883. Blackw. Mag., Aug., 234. All armed with one or two long switches of birch called technically ‘beaters’ or ‘trees.’
