batch adj.

1. Non-interactive. Hackers use this somewhat more loosely than the traditional technical definitions justify; in particular, switches on a normally interactive program that prepare it to receive non-interactive command input are often referred to as `batch mode' switches. A `batch file' is a series of instructions written to be handed to an interactive program running in batch mode. 2. Performance of dreary tasks all at one sitting. "I finally sat down in batch mode and wrote out checks for all those bills; I guess they'll turn the electricity back on next week..." 3. `batching up': Accumulation of a number of small tasks that can be lumped together for greater efficiency. "I'm batching up those letters to send sometime" "I'm batching up bottles to take to the recycling center."

--The Jargon File version 4.3.1, ed. ESR, autonoded by rescdsk.

Batch (?), n. [OE. bache, bacche, fr. AS. bacan to bake; cf. G. geback and D. baksel. See Bake, v. t.]

1.

The quantity of bread baked at one time.

2.

A quantity of anything produced at one operation; a group or collection of persons or things of the same kind; as, a batch of letters; the next batch of business.

Lady M. W. Montagu.

© Webster 1913.