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.

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

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

Batten definition: To become fat.

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

Jan 20, 2026 · batten (plural battens) (carpentry, construction) A plank or strip of wood, or several of such strips arranged side by side, used in construction to hold members of a structure together, to …

Of the 250-plus schools of public policy and administration in the U.S., the Batten School has the distinction of being the only one explicitly committed to teaching leadership — how it works, why …

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

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