batten
3 ENTRIES FOUND:
battens;
battened;
battening
battens;
battened;
battening
Britannica Dictionary definition of BATTEN
batten down
[phrasal verb]
1
:
to prepare for possible trouble or difficulty
-
The city is battening down for the weekend's scheduled protests.
-
People are battening down in preparation for a hard winter.
2
batten down (something)
or
batten (something) down
:
to tie, close, or cover (something) in order to prevent it from moving or becoming damaged
-
Everything on the ship's deck was battened down.
-
We were able to batten down the house just before the storm hit.
3
batten down the hatches
:
to prepare a boat or ship for dangerous stormy weather by closing and covering the openings in the deck
— often used figuratively
-
As the economy grows worse, investors need to batten down the hatches and prepare for tough times ahead.
batten on
[phrasal verb]
batten on (something or someone)
British, formal + disapproving
:
to live well or succeed by using (something or someone)
-
someone who battens on the strength/generosity of others
2
batten
/ˈbætn̩/
noun
plural
battens
2
batten
/ˈbætn̩/
noun
plural
battens
Britannica Dictionary definition of BATTEN
[count]
:
a long thin piece of wood that is used to connect and support other pieces of wood
