group of guns or missile launchers operated together at one place
"The artillery battery opened fire on the ridge just as our scouts arrived."
a device that produces electricity; may have several primary or secondary cells arranged in parallel or series
"The old flashlight stopped working because its battery had finally died after years of use."
a collection of related things intended for use together
"took a battery of achievement tests"
a unit composed of the pitcher and catcher
"The coach yelled at both players to get back into battery after they broke their routine during warm-ups."
a series of stamps operated in one mortar for crushing ores
"The miners installed a new battery to crush the hard copper ore before it went into the smelter."
the heavy fire of artillery to saturate an area rather than hit a specific target
"they laid down a barrage in front of the advancing troops"
"the shelling went on for hours without pausing"
an assault in which the assailant makes physical contact
"The police charged him with battery after he punched his neighbor during the argument."
A device used to power electric devices, consisting of a set of electrically connected electrochemical or, archaically, electrostatic cells. A single such cell when used by itself.
"She checked the flashlight's battery and replaced it when the beam flickered out in the dark cave."
In plain English: Battery is an old-fashioned legal term for physically hitting someone without their permission.
"I need to charge my phone because the battery is running low."
Usage: Use "battery" to refer to a complete set of interconnected cells that store and supply electrical energy for devices like phones or cars. Do not use it as a synonym for a single electric cell, which is simply called a cell.
The word "battery" comes from the Old French baterie, meaning an action of beating, which itself traces back to Latin and Gaulish origins. Its modern electrical sense was coined by Benjamin Franklin in analogy with a military battery, because his series of Leyden jars resembled one.