batten: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, Technical (construction, sailing), Literary
Quick answer
What does “batten” mean?
To fasten or secure something, especially with strips of wood or metal.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To fasten or secure something, especially with strips of wood or metal.
To thrive or prosper at the expense of others; to grow fat or prosper, often in a parasitic way.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both meanings are used in both varieties. The technical sense is more common in specific fields like sailing and construction universally. The figurative sense ('batten on') is slightly more literary and may be encountered more in British literary contexts.
Connotations
The figurative use ('batten on/upon') carries a strong negative connotation of exploitation in both varieties.
Frequency
Low frequency in everyday speech. Higher frequency in technical manuals (sailing, roofing, theatre) and literary analysis.
Grammar
How to Use “batten” in a Sentence
batten something downbatten on/upon somebody/somethingbatten something to somethingVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “batten” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- We must batten down the shutters before the storm.
- He was accused of battening on the fears of the elderly.
American English
- Batten down the hatches, a blizzard is coming!
- The corrupt officials battened on public funds.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Possibly in metaphorical use: 'The company was accused of battening on the region's economic troubles.'
Academic
Used in literary criticism and history to describe exploitative relationships.
Everyday
Very rare except in the idiom 'batten down the hatches'.
Technical
Common in sailing (securing hatches), construction (securing roofing/siding), and theatre (lighting battens).
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “batten”
- Incorrect: 'We need to button down the hatches.' (Correct: 'batten down').
- Incorrect use of preposition: 'batten at' instead of 'batten on/upon'.
- Confusing the noun and verb forms in context.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, they have different etymologies. 'Batten' comes from Old French 'batant', meaning 'beating', related to securing something.
Yes, a 'batten' is a strip of wood or metal used to fasten or secure something, like in construction or sailing.
The idiom 'batten down the hatches', meaning to prepare for a difficult situation, is the most common in general conversation.
Almost always. It carries a strong connotation of selfish, exploitative, or parasitic prosperity.
To fasten or secure something, especially with strips of wood or metal.
Batten is usually formal, technical (construction, sailing), literary in register.
Batten: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbæt.ən/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbæt̬.ən/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “batten down the hatches (prepare for trouble)”
- “batten on someone's misery”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a BAT closing (battening down) its wings tightly, or a fattened animal (battening) on plentiful food.
Conceptual Metaphor
PROSPERITY IS FATNESS / EXPLOITATION IS PARASITISM (for the figurative sense); SECURITY IS FASTENING (for the literal sense).
Practice
Quiz
In a literary context, what does 'batten on' typically imply?