What is "batman"

Batman \Bat"man\ (b[a^]t"m[a^]n), n. [Turk. ba[.t]man.] A weight used in the East, varying according to the locality; in Turkey, the greater batman is about 157 pounds, the lesser only a fourth of this; at Aleppo and Smyrna, the batman is 17 pounds.
--Simmonds.

Batman \Bat"man\ (b[add]"man or b[a^]t"man), n.; pl. Batmen (b[a^]t"men). [F. b[^a]t packsaddle + E. man. Cf. Bathorse.] A man who has charge of a bathorse and his load.
--Macaulay. [1913 Webster] ||

"officer's servant," originally military title for "man in charge of a bat-horse and its load," 1755, from bat "pack-saddle" (late 14c.), from Old French bast (Modern French bât), from Late Latin bastum (see baton). Hence also batwoman (1941). The comic book hero dates from 1939.

Etymology 1 n. (context military English) A servant or valet to an army officer. Etymology 2

n. A unit of weight used in the East.

n. an orderly assigned to serve a British military officer

Batman may refer to:

• Batman
• B.A.T.M.A.N. - a routing protocol

Batman is a 1989 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton and produced by Jon Peters, based on the DC Comics character of the same name. It is the first installment of Warner Bros.' initial Batman film series. The film stars Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman, alongside Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough, and Jack Palance. In the film, Batman is widely believed to be an urban legend until he actively goes to war with a rising criminal mastermind known as " the Joker".

After Burton was hired as director in 1986, Steve Englehart and Julie Hickson wrote film treatments before Sam Hamm wrote the first screenplay. Batman was not greenlit until after the success of Burton's Beetlejuice (1988). Numerous A-list actors were considered for the role of Batman before Keaton was cast. Keaton's casting caused a controversy since, by 1988, he had become typecast as a comedic actor and many observers doubted he could portray a serious role. Nicholson accepted the role of the Joker under strict conditions that dictated a high salary, a portion of the box office profits and his shooting schedule. The tone and themes of the film were influenced in part by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's The Killing Joke and Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. The film notably invents a unique origin story for the Joker, presenting him as an organised criminal named Jack Napier. Filming took place at Pinewood Studios from October 1988 to January 1989. The budget escalated from $30 million to $48 million, while the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike forced Hamm to drop out. Uncredited rewrites were performed by Warren Skaaren, Charles McKeown and Jonathan Gems.

Batman was a critical and financial success, earning over $400 million in box office totals. It was the fifth-highest-grossing film in history at the time of its release. The film received several Saturn Award nominations and a Golden Globe nomination, and won an Academy Award. It also inspired the equally successful Batman: The Animated Series, paving the way for the DC animated universe, and has influenced Hollywood's modern marketing and development techniques of the superhero film genre.

A batman is a soldier or airman assigned to a commissioned officer as a personal servant. Before the advent of motorized transport, an officer's batman was also in charge of the officer's "bat-horse" that carried the pack saddle with his officer's kit during a campaign.

The U.K. English term is derived from the obsolete bat, meaning " pack saddle" (from French bât, from Old French bast, from Late Latin bastum).

Batman is a National/DC comic book superhero.

Batman may also refer to:

The batman was a unit of mass used in the Ottoman Empire and among Turkic peoples of the Russian Empire. It has also been recorded as a unit of area in Uyghur-speaking regions of Central Asia. The name is Turkic ( Ottoman Turkish ; Chagatai ), but was also sometimes used for the equivalent unit in Persia ( من, man). The equivalent unit in British India was anglicized as the maund. The value of the batman (or maund) varied considerably from place to place.

The Batman comic strip began a few years after the creation of the comic book Batman. At first titled Batman and Robin, a later incarnation was shortened to Batman. The comic strip had three major and two minor runs in American newspapers.

The Batman of Earth-Two is a parallel version of the DC Comics superhero, who was introduced after DC Comics created Earth-Two, a parallel world that was retroactively established as the home of characters whose adventures had been published in the Golden Age of comic books. This allowed creators to publish Batman comic books while being able to disregard Golden Age stories, solving an incongruity, as Batman had been published as a single ongoing incarnation since inception.

Batman, often promoted as Batman: The Movie, is a 1966 American superhero film based on the Batman television series, and the first full-length theatrical adaptation of the DC Comics character Batman. Released by 20th Century Fox, the film starred Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin.

Released in July, the film hit theaters two months after the last episode of the first season of the television series. The film includes most members of the original TV cast, with the exception of Lee Meriwether as Catwoman, the character previously played by Julie Newmar in two episodes of the series' first season.

Batman is a 1960s American live action television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City from a variety of villains and their henchmen. It is known for its camp style, upbeat theme music and relatively simplistic youth-aimed moral lessons, including championing the importance of using seat belts, doing homework, eating vegetables and drinking milk. One hundred and twenty episodes aired on the ABC network for three seasons from January 12, 1966, to March 14, 1968, twice weekly for the first two and weekly for the third.

Batman (Terrence "Terry" McGinnis) is a fictional superhero appearing in the animated television series Batman Beyond (1999–2001) and in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini and first appeared in the pilot episode of the aforementioned animated series, voiced by Will Friedle.

In the future, Terry McGinnis is the vigilante known as the Batman, having taken over the name after the aging Bruce Wayne went into retirement (in addition, in DCAU continuity, he is also Wayne's biological son, by means of gene manipulation).

Batman is the eleventh studio album by American recording artist Prince and the soundtrack album to the 1989 film Batman. It was released on June 20, 1989 by Warner Bros. Records. As a Warner Bros. stablemate, Prince's involvement in the soundtrack was designed to leverage the media company's contract-bound talent as well as fulfill the artist's need for a commercial (if not critical) revival. The result was yet another multi-platinum successful cross-media enterprise by Warner Bros., in the vein of Purple Rain. The album was No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart for six consecutive weeks. It has sold over eleven million copies worldwide.

Batman is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27 ( cover dated May 1939). Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication with a cover date of Spring 1940. It was first advertised in early April 1940, one month after the first appearance of his new sidekick, Robin, the Boy Wonder.

Though the Batman comic book was initially launched as a quarterly publication, it later became a bimonthly series through the late 1950s, after which it became a monthly publication and has remained so since. The original series ended in 2011 and was relaunched with a new first issue.

Using the end of the New 52 initiative as a launching point, DC Comics began a second relaunch of its entire line of titles called DC Rebirth in 2016. Batman (vol. 3) #1 (August 2016) was the debut bimonthly relaunch of the comic bok series.

In 2003, DC rewarded the rights to produce Batman, Superman, and Justice League/Justice League Unlimited figures to Mattel. Mattel, who took over production from Hasbro, released their first original comic-style toy line, Batman, in 2003, and it lasted until summer 2005.

Batman (Bruce Wayne) is a fictional character, a superhero and an alternative version of the DC Comics character of the same name. This version of Batman was created by Frank Miller and first appeared in The Dark Knight Returns #1 ( February 1986). This satirical version of the character is regarded as an older, darker interpretation of the character who, after years of retirement, resumes his role of a vigilante and, eventually, a revolutionary freedom fighter.

Batman also known as Batman: The Video Game is a video game released for the Sega Genesis, which was inspired by the Tim Burton-directed Batman film from 1989. The Genesis version was also produced by Sunsoft. The game is more faithful to the film's plot than the NES version and features levels in which the player controls Batman's vehicles.

Batman is a 1986 3D isometric action-adventure game by Ocean Software for the Amstrad PCW, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum and MSX, MSX-2 microcomputers, and the first Batman game ever developed. Upon release, the game received favorable reviews, and received a sequel two years later, titled Batman: The Caped Crusader.

Batman is a monster truck competing on the USHRA circuit, where it is the 2008 Monster Jam World Racing Champion. The truck is officially licensed by DC Comics and has a replica of the Batmobile as the body. It is driven by John Seasock and debuted with Jason Childress driving in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2006. It has also competed in three Monster Jam World Finals, and won racing in both the 2007 and 2008 events. The body was designed at Downs Manufacturing in Lawton, Michigan by Jamie Downs and his team of designers, Terry Payne of Arlington,TX, and Doug Forbes of Three Rivers, MI. In 2013, Batman received a new look with half-sized fins and a new bat logo. In 2014, two time racing world champion John Seasock returned to the driver's seat of Batman.

In 2014, Marvel/DC's contract expired, taking off all of the Marvel/DC licensed trucks, including Batman.

Batman, in films, may refer to:

• Batman (1966 film): directed by Leslie H. Martinson; starring Adam West, Burt Ward, Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith
• Batman (1989 film): directed by Tim Burton; starring Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Jack Palance
• Batman Returns (1992): directed by Tim Burton; starring Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken
• Batman Forever (1995): directed by Joel Schumacher; starring Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman, Chris O'Donnell
• Batman & Robin (1997): directed by Joel Schumacher; starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Chris O'Donnell, Uma Thurman, Alicia Silverstone
• Batman Begins (2005): directed by Christopher Nolan; starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Rutger Hauer, Morgan Freeman
• The Dark Knight (2008): directed by Christopher Nolan; starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman
• The Dark Knight Rises (2012): directed by Christopher Nolan; starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016): Directed by Zack Snyder and star Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill

Batman is a horizontally scrolling beat 'em up arcade game released by Atari Games in 1990, produced by Data East. The storyline is based on the eponymous 1989 movie. It features stages based on locations in the film, including first-person control of the Batmobile and the Batwing. The game features audio clips of Batman ( Michael Keaton) and the Joker ( Jack Nicholson) as well as digitized photos from the movie. The soundtrack is based on Danny Elfman's score from the film.

Batman has various weapons, such as batarangs and gas grenades at his disposal, as he takes on various goons and the Joker himself.

Batman is a 1943 black-and-white 15-chapter theatrical serial from Columbia Pictures, produced by Rudolph C. Flothow and directed by Lambert Hillyer. The serial starred Lewis Wilson as Batman and Douglas Croft as Robin. J. Carrol Naish played the villain, an original character named Dr. Daka, a secret agent of the Japanese Imperial government. Rounding out the cast were Shirley Patterson as Linda Page, Bruce Wayne's love interest, and William Austin as Alfred the butler.

The serial is based on the DC Comics character Batman, first published in Detective Comics #27, the May 1939 issue.

The serial's story line involves the Batman, a secret U. S. government agent, attempting to defeat the sabotage schemes of Japanese agent Dr. Daka operating in Gotham City at the height of World War II. Serving Daka are his traitorous American henchmen.

Batman is notable for being the first appearance on film of Batman and for debuting serial story details that quickly became permanent parts of the Batman comic's mythos: the Bat's Cave and its secret entrance through a grandfather clock inside Wayne Manor. The serial also changed the course of how Alfred Pennyworth's physical appearance was depicted in Batman stories. At the time Batman was released in theaters, Alfred was overweight in the comics. Subsequent issues suddenly portrayed Alfred as trim and sporting a thin mustache, following actor William Austin's portrayal.

The serial was commercially successful and in 1949 spawned another Columbia chapter play, Batman and Robin. The entire Batman serial was re-released theatrically in 1965 as An Evening with Batman and Robin, and proved very popular. Its success inspired the action-comedy lampoon series Batman ( and its 1966 theatrical feature film spin-off) starring Adam West and Burt Ward.

Batman, in manga, can refer to many different Batman manga series:

• Batman: Black & White short manga by Katsuhiro Otomo
• Batman: Child of Dreams a Batman manga series by Kia Asamiya
• Batman: Death Mask a Batman manga series by Yoshinori Natsume
• Bat-Manga! The Secret History of Batman in Japan a 1960s Batman manga by Jiro Kuwata

Batman is a 2013 arcade vehicular combat game developed by Specular Interactive and released by Raw Thrills. The game can be single-player or multi-player (if there is a linked cabinet).

Batman is an electoral district of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. It elects four members of parliament (deputies) to represent the province of the same name for a four-year term by the D'Hondt method, a party-list proportional representation system.

Batman is a surname of English origin. It originates from Saint Bartholomew and means "a friend or servant of Bart." Similar names Bateman, Baitman and Battman have the same origin. The similar name Bathemans is recorded as early as 1222. The name has no connection to the mammal or the fictional superhero.

• Stephen Batman (—1584), English translator and author
• John Batman (1801–1839), one of the founders of Melbourne, Australia
• Ira Coleman Batman (1862–1934), American jurist and politician
• Daniel Batman (1981–2012), Australian sprinter, and descendant of John Batman
• Fereydoon Batmanghelidj (1931–2004), known as Dr. Batman, advocate of water as a cure-all

Batman: Original Motion Picture Score is the score album for the 1989 film Batman by Danny Elfman. According to the Batman DVD Special Edition, Elfman said that producer Jon Peters was not sure about him as a composer until Tim Burton made him play the main titles. Elfman admitted he was stunned when Peters announced that the score would be released on its own album, as releasing a separate score album for a film was something that was rarely done in the 1980s. Elfman's "The Batman Theme" went on to become an iconic piece. It served as the basis for the theme music of Batman: The Animated Series, which premiered in 1992, although this was later changed. Some parts of the Elfman score are also heard in Lego Batman: The Videogame, Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes and Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. Parts are also played in the queue, and on the station platform of Batman the Ride at various Six Flags theme parks.

Batman is a superhero film series featuring the DC Comics character of the same name, who was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. It was produced by Warner Bros. from 1989 to 1997, beginning with the 1989 film Batman, directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton. Burton and Keaton returned for the 1992 sequel Batman Returns, and in 1995, Joel Schumacher directed Batman Forever with Val Kilmer as Batman. Schumacher also directed the 1997 sequel Batman & Robin, which starred George Clooney. Batman & Robin was poorly received by both the critics and the fans, leading to the cancellation of the planned sequel Batman Unchained.