Baton

google

ref

early 16th century (denoting a staff or cudgel): from French bâton, earlier baston, from late Latin bastum ‘stick’.

wiktionary

ref

From French bâton. Doublet of baston.

etymonline

ref

baton (n.)

1540s, "a staff used as a weapon," from French bâton "stick, walking stick, staff, club, wand," from Old French baston (12c.) "stick, staff, rod," from Late Latin bastum "stout staff," which is probably of Gaulish origin or else from Greek *baston "support," from bastazein "to lift up, raise, carry." Meaning "staff carried as a symbol of office" is from 1580s; musical sense of "conductor's wand" is by 1823, from French. Often Englished 17c.-18c. as batoon.