bat·ten¹ (băt'n)

v., -tened, -ten·ing, -tens.

v.intr.

1. To become fat.
2. To thrive and prosper, especially at another's expense: "[She] battens like a leech on the lives of famous people, . . . a professional retailer of falsehoods" (George F. Will).

v.tr.
To fatten; overfeed.

[Ultimately from Old Norse batna, to improve.]

bat·ten² (băt'n)
n.

1. Nautical.
   1. One of several flexible strips of wood or plastic placed in pockets at the outer edge of a sail to keep it flat.
   2. A narrow strip of wood used to fasten down the edges of the material that covers hatches in foul weather.
2. Chiefly British. A narrow strip of wood used especially for flooring.

tr.v., -tened, -ten·ing, -tens.
Nautical. To furnish, fasten, or secure with battens: battened down the hatch during the storm.

idiom:

batten down the hatches

1. To prepare for an imminent disaster or emergency.

[Middle English batent, from Old French bataunt, wooden strip, clapper, from present participle of batre, to beat. See batter¹.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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