batch
UK: bætʃ | US: bætʃ
n. a quantity of goods or material produced or processed at one time
n. a group of people or things dealt with simultaneously
vt. to group or process items together
The word "batch" originates from Old English bæcce ("something baked"), derived from bacan ("to bake"). The "-tch" suffix likely evolved as a diminutive or iterative form, emphasizing a small or grouped unit (e.g., a single baking session's output). Over time, it generalized to mean any grouped quantity, losing its strict connection to baking. The logic reflects a shift from literal production (baked goods) to abstract grouping.
The factory produced a batch of 500 smartphones yesterday.
She baked a fresh batch of cookies for the party.
The software processes data in batches to improve efficiency.
We’ll handle customer complaints in the next batch.
The teacher graded the exams in batches of twenty.