What does battened mean?
"Battened" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "batten," which has two distinct senses. The first and most familiar is to fasten something down securely — historically, sailors battened down the hatches by covering them with tarpaulins secured by wooden strips called battens before a storm. Today the phrase "batten down the hatches" survives both literally and figuratively, describing any preparation for trouble. The second sense, always followed by "on" or "upon," means to prosper or fatten oneself at another's expense, as in "tyrants who battened on the poor." This usage is strongly pejorative and largely confined to formal or literary prose. The word traces back through Middle English to Old Norse "batna," meaning to improve, making it a distant relative of "better." Its dual character — practical seamanship on one hand, predatory greed on the other — gives it unusual range for such a short word.
verbPast tense and past participle of "batten": to fasten or secure something firmly, especially hatches and doors in preparation for a storm; or (with "on" or "upon") to thrive or grow fat at the expense of others.
- To fasten or secure firmly, especially closing and securing hatches, doors, or shutters against bad weather (often used in the phrase "batten down the hatches").
- (with "on" or "upon") To thrive, prosper, or grow fat by exploiting or feeding off someone or something else.
"The crew battened down the hatches as the storm approached."
"As the hurricane neared the coast, residents battened their windows and evacuated inland."
"Critics accused the company of battening on its monopoly while smaller rivals collapsed."
Sailors have been shouting "Batten down the hatches!" for centuries — and the same word also describes someone greedily living off other people's misfortune.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of battened
"Batten" entered English in the late Middle Ages from Old Norse "batna," meaning "to improve or grow better," sharing a Germanic root with the comparative "better." The nautical sense of securing hatches developed from the noun "batten" — a strip of wood used to hold things fast — while the sense of feeding or growing fat (originally of animals) shifted metaphorically to people profiting at others' expense. Both senses were well established by the early modern period.
Related word forms
How battened is actually used
The weatherproofing sense is common and neutral, often figurative for preparing for hard times. The exploitative sense ("batten on") is literary and carries strong negative connotations of parasitism or greed; it appears mostly in formal or journalistic writing.
Easily confused with battened
A baton is a stick or rod carried by conductors, relay runners, or police, whereas "battened" is the past tense of the verb batten, meaning to secure firmly or to feed greedily.
"Buttoned" means fastened with buttons, while "battened" refers to securing with bars, boards, or strips of wood.