1. to catch birds at night by blinding them with light and then hitting them with a bat or stick
Usage: archaic; historical hunting practice
2. to trick or deceive someone through cunning or deception
Usage: archaic; figurative

Examples

• The poachers would batfowls at night, using torches to stun the roosting birds.
• He batfowls his way through business deals with clever misdirection.
• In Shakespeare's time, batfowling was a common method of capturing game birds.
• The con artist batfowls unsuspecting travelers with false promises.