batch
n.
a group of materials distinguished from similar materials by some characteristic, such as time of manufacture, receipt, or activity
a group of materials treated as a unit separate from a larger body of materials
Computinga group of jobs, data, or programs treated as a unit for computer processing
v.
to group materials together
Notes
Different batches1 of a commodity, such as film or paper, may vary slightly due to fluctuations in the manufacturing process. Manufacturers may mark batches with identifying numbers and may also indicate the nature of variations from a standard. For example, some color photographic films indicate how each batch diverges from a neutral color balance so that photographers can use filters to correct for that variation.
Batch2 is distinguished from "series." The former generally connotes that the items are identical and does not imply an internal order.
