batten
verb
- 1
To become better; improve in condition, especially by feeding.
- 2
To feed (on); to revel (in).
- 3
To thrive by feeding; grow fat; feed oneself gluttonously.
- 4
To thrive, prosper, or live in luxury, especially at the expense of others; fare sumptuously.
“Robber barons who battened on the poor”
- 5
To gratify a morbid appetite or craving; gloat.
- 6
To improve by feeding; fatten; make fat or cause to thrive due to plenteous feeding.
- 7
To fertilize or enrich, as land.
noun
- 1
A thin strip of wood used in construction to hold members of a structure together or to provide a fixing point.
- 2
A long strip of wood, metal, fibreglass etc., used for various purposes aboard ship, especially one inserted in a pocket sewn on the sail in order to keep the sail flat.
- 3
In stagecraft, a long pipe, usually metal, affixed to the ceiling or fly system in a theater.
- 4
The movable bar of a loom, which strikes home or closes the threads of a woof.
verb
- 1
To furnish with battens.
- 2
To fasten or secure a hatch etc using battens.
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