batten
pronunciation
How to pronounce batten in British English:
UK [ˈbætn]
How to pronounce batten in American English:
US [ˈbætn]
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- Noun:
- stuffing made of rolls or sheets of cotton wool or synthetic fiber
- a strip fixed to something to hold it firm
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- Verb:
- furnish with battens
- secure with battens
Word Origin
- batten (n.)
- "strip of wood (especially used to fasten canvas over ships' hatches)," 1650s, anglicized variant of baton "a stick, a staff" (see baton). Nautical use attested from 1769.
- batten (v.1)
- "to improve; to fatten," 1590s, probably representing an English dialectal survival of Old Norse batna "improve" (cognates: Old English batian, Old Frisian batia, Old High German bazen, Gothic gabatnan "to become better, avail, benefit," Old English bet "better;" also see boot (v.)). Related: Battened; battening.
- batten (v.2)
- "to furnish with battens," 1775, from batten (n.); phrase batten down recorded from 1823. Related: Battened; battening.
Example
- 1. John batten is an art gallery owner who helped organize a group dedicated to preserving hong kong 's historical structures .
- 2. Sheep will batten on the lush grass .
- 3. The hilly areas make good sheep pasture ; sheep will batten on the lush grass .
- 4. My sister 's children were coming to stay so we had to batten down the hatches .
- 5. The threat of inflation forces many public institutions of the city batten down the hatches not to take a risk in stock market .