battery是英语中的一个很常用的单词。这里，我们不说词义，只看OED中其中的一组词义（完整词义请看OED）：
II. The apparatus used in battering or beating.
a. A number of pieces of artillery placed in juxtaposition for combined action; in Military use, the smallest division of artillery for tactical purposes (corresponding to a company of infantry).Technically, including also the artillerymen who work the guns, the drivers, and horses. In horse batteries , the gunners are carried partly on the carriages and partly on horses, in field batteries wholly on the carriages; garrison batteries are bodies of artillerymen serving heavy guns in forts or coast batteries.
b. figurative , esp. in to turn any one’s battery against himself .
c. In baseball, applied to the pitcher and catcher (originally used of the pitcher alone). Also attributive . U.S.
a. The platform or fortified work, on or within which artillery is mounted (sometimes including the guns or mortars there mounted).
b. transferred or figurative .
c. An oblong box or boat submerged to the brim, used in wildfowl shooting; = SINKn.1 14. Also attributive , as battery-gunner , battery-shooting . U.S.
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Phrases and locutions. battery-wagon : one in which are carried tools and materials for repair of the battery. cross batteries : two batteries playing upon the same point from different directions. enfilading battery : one which sweeps the whole line attacked. floating battery : a heavily armed and armoured vessel intended for bombarding fortresses. in battery : (a gun) projecting in readiness for firing through an embrasure or over a parapet. masked battery : one screened from the enemy’s view by natural or artificial obstacles. out of or from battery : (a gun) withdrawn for the purpose of loading.
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Mining . The set of stamps, usually five in number, that work in one ‘mortar’ of a stamp-mill.
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Dyeing . (See quots.)
这里，在II下一共列出5组共计9个词义。编者根据这些词义的特点，把它们冠之以The apparatus used in battering or beating。仔细看每个词义，我们注意到除了4c，其余的都和物有关。我们回过头来看以The apparatus used in battering or beating这个标签，大家有没有感到4c这个词义与其他词义有些格格不入？不过，查看apparatus在词典中的释义，它其实还可以解释为“机构，机关，团体；（尤指政党）组织，（地下活动）组织”，这个词义中虽然有“人”，但其实是指像机器那样运行的组织、机关，并不指个人。所以，大家对于4c这个词义怎么理解？