bat v To kill or stun a seal by striking with a club; GAFF v 2.
   1871 WHITE MS Journal 9 Apr At daylight saw spot old seals—batted about 5000. 1895 Outing xxvii, p. 22 As [hooded] seals may be approached with ease, it is considered a waste of ammunition to shoot them, and they are generally clubbed, or 'batted,' as it is locally termed. 1924 ENGLAND 16 The [seal] pups can be gaffed or batted. In many cases the wary old ones have to be shot. 1952 STANSFORD 83 Our crew succeeded in batting two young hoods, and in all twenty one seals were brought ashore. 1955 DOYLE (ed) 52 "Sealers' Song": Our boys for fat, would gaff and bat, / And make the whitecoats rattle.

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