The verb batten is used in variations of the phrase " batten down the hatches," which means "to prepare for a difficult or dangerous situation." It winds back to Latin battuere, meaning "to beat."

A batten is most commonly a strip of solid material, historically wood [1] but can also be of plastic, metal, or fiberglass. Battens are variously used in construction, sailing, and other fields.

Phrasal verb batten on someone (Definition of batten from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

(usually foll by: on) to thrive, esp at the expense of someone else: to batten on the needy.

Discover everything about the word "BATTEN" in English: meanings, translations, synonyms, pronunciations, examples, and grammar insights - all in one comprehensive guide.

Batten definition: To become fat.

Definition of batten noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

There are six meanings listed in OED's entry for the verb batten, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

BATTEN definition: to thrive by feeding; grow fat. See examples of batten used in a sentence.

Dec 14, 2025 · batten (third-person singular simple present battens, present participle battening, simple past and past participle battened) (transitive) To furnish (something) with battens (noun …