BATTEN


Meaning of BATTEN in English

I. bat ‧ ten 1 /ˈbætn/ BrE AmE verb

1 . batten down the hatches

a) to prepare yourself for a period of difficulty or trouble

b) to firmly fasten the entrances to the lower part of a ship

2 . batten on somebody British English formal to live well by using someone else’s money, possessions etc – used to show disapproval

II. batten 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]

[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: French ; Origin: bâton ; ⇨ ↑ baton ]

a long narrow piece of wood that is attached to other pieces of wood or another building material to strengthen them and keep them in place

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.