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.

A batten is a long strip of wood that is fixed to something to strengthen it or to hold it firm. ...a batten to support the base timbers.

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.

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 …

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

Also called pipe batten. a length of metal pipe hung from the gridiron, for suspending scenery or equipment, as drops, flats, or lighting units. a narrow strip of lumber for constructing, …