Word of the Day

: October 20, 2021

batten

verb BAT-un

What It Means

Batten means "to furnish or fasten with or as if with supports."

// Residents battened down their doors and windows before the storm.

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batten in Context

"Everything was battened down and they were all set to leave the round-the-clock eatery—until they discovered there was no key to the front door. It had been that long since they'd locked it." — Bob Yesbek, The Cape Gazette (Lewes, Delaware), 7 May 2021

Did You Know?

Batten comes from the name for an iron bar used to secure the covering of a hatchway on a ship, which was especially useful in preparation of stormy weather. 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."