BATTER, an architectural term used of the sloping surface of a wall which is thicker at the base than at the top. Battered walls are commonly used where great strength and weight are necessary in the lower parts of a construction but not in the upper, as in retaining walls and masonry of weak materials, such as sun-dried brick. Frequently the lower portions of monumental buildings are battered to give the impression of great strength, although no batter may he structurally necessary.