batten
To become better; to improve in condition; especially of animals, by feeding; to…To become better; to improve in condition; especially of animals, by feeding; to fatten up.
» Batten doors are sadly falling out of fashion.
Meaning
10 senses(intransitive)To become better; to improve in condition; especially of animals, by feeding; to fatten up.
gedeihen, aufpäppeln, mästen
отъеда́тьсяotʺjedátʹsja, отъе́стьсяotʺjéstʹsja, отка́рмливатьotkármlivatʹ
(intransitive)Of land, soil, etc.: to become fertile; also, of plants: to grow lush.
(intransitive)Followed by on: to eat greedily; to glut.
(figuratively, intransitive)Followed by on: to prosper or thrive, especially at the expense of others.
Robber barons who battened on the poor
gedeihen, schmarotzen
нажива́тьсяnaživátʹsja, нажи́тьсяnažítʹsja
(figuratively, intransitive)To gloat at; to revel in.
(figuratively, intransitive)To gratify a morbid appetite or craving.
sich an etwas weiden, sich ergötzen, es sich an etwas gütlich tun
(transitive)To furnish (something) with battens (noun etymology 2, noun sense 1).
auslatten
furnish with battens
(transitive)Chiefly followed by down: to fasten or secure (a hatch, opening, etc.) using battens (noun etymology 2, noun sense 2.2).
Schotten dicht machen
задраиватьzadraivatʹ
secure with battens
(obsolete, transitive)To cause (an animal, etc.) to become fat or thrive through plenteous feeding; to fatten.
(obsolete, rare, transitive)To enrich or fertilize (land, soil, etc.).
Examples
3 sentencesBatten doors are sadly falling out of fashion.
Batten down the hatches.
Batten down the hatches!
Translations
3 languagesBy meaning 4
By meaning 6
Origin
The verb is derived from Middle English *battenen, *batnen, of North Germanic origin, probThe verb is derived from Middle English *battenen, *batnen, of North Germanic origin, probably from Old Norse batna (“to grow better, improve, recover”), from Proto-Germanic *batnaną (“to become better, improve”) (compare Old Norse bati (“advantage, improvement”), from Proto-Germanic *batô (“improvement, recovery”)), from *bataz (“good”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰed- (“good”). Compare battle (“(adjective) improving; fattening, nutritious; fertile, fruitful; (verb) to feed or nourish; to render (land, etc.) fertile or fruitful”) (obsolete).
The noun is from Middle English bataunt, batent (“finished bar or board (as for panelling)”), from Old French batent (“a beating”), a noun use of the present participle form of batre (“to beat, hit, strike”), from Late Latin battere, the present active infinitive of battō (“to beat”), from Latin battuō (“(very rare) to beat, hit, strike”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰedʰ-, *bʰedʰh₂- (“to pierce; to stab”) or *bʰat- (“to hit”), ultimately onomatopoeic.
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Forms
battens, battening, battened, battenedSynonyms
4 synonyms- furnish with battens:batten downsecure
Antonyms
1 antonymsWord family
5 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle