The opposite of "batch" is "interactive". A classic "batch job" is one that can be executed without input from a keyboard or output to a display, and therefore

The opposite of "batch" is "interactive". A classic "batch job" is one that can be executed without input from a keyboard or output to a display, and therefore can be queues in a batch with other such jobs (perhaps from other programmers). There is a connection with scripting; batch job control was done with command languages. This is where DOS/Windows "batch files" get their name, and the .BAT suffix. Grouping transmitted items together (such as bytes into a datagram) is better called aggregation, not to confuse it with "batch job" batching. Nearly all streaming uses aggregation, other than at the lowest data link and physical layers.