batten

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈbæt(ə)n/ (General American) enPR: băt'-n, IPA(key): /ˈbætən/, [-ɾən] Rhymes: -ætən Homophone: baton (one pronunciation) Hyphenation: bat‧ten === Etymology 1 === The 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 adjective is probably derived from the verb. ==== Verb ==== batten (third-person singular simple present battens, present participle battening, simple past and past participle battened) (transitive, obsolete) To cause (an animal, etc.) to become fat or thrive through plenteous feeding; to fatten. Synonyms: fleshen, stouten (rare) To enrich or fertilize (land, soil, etc.). (intransitive) To become better; to improve in condition; especially of animals, by feeding; to fatten up. [from late 16th c.] Synonyms: fleshen, stouten Of land, soil, etc.: to become fertile; also, of plants: to grow lush. (often passive voice) Followed by on: to eat greedily; to glut. (figurative) Followed by on: to prosper or thrive, especially at the expense of others. (figurative) To gloat at; to revel in. (figurative) To gratify a morbid appetite or craving. ===== Conjugation ===== ===== Derived terms ===== battened (adjective) battener battening (adjective, noun) battner ===== Translations ===== ==== Adjective ==== batten (comparative more batten, superlative most batten) (obsolete) Synonym of battle (“of grass or pasture: nutritious to cattle or sheep; of land (originally pastureland) or soil: fertile, fruitful”). (of land or soil): Synonym: (dialectal or obsolete) batful === Etymology 2 === 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. The verb is derived from the noun. ==== Noun ==== batten (plural battens) (carpentry, construction) A plank or strip of wood, or several of such strips arranged side by side, used in construction to hold members of a structure together, to provide a fixing point, to strengthen, or to prevent warping. Hyponyms: counterlath, (Australia) dropper, jackstay, studding (specifically) A strip of wood holding a number of lamps; especially (theater), one used for illuminating a stage; (by extension, also attributive) a long bar, usually metal, affixed to the ceiling or fly system and used to support curtains, scenery, etc. (nautical) A long, narrow strip, originally of wood but now also of fibreglass, metal, etc., used for various purposes aboard a ship; especially one attached to a mast or spar for protection, one holding down the edge of a tarpaulin covering a hatch to prevent water from entering the hatch, one inserted in a pocket sewn on a sail to keep it flat, or one from which a hammock is suspended. (weaving) The movable bar of a loom, which strikes home or closes the threads of a woof. Synonyms: beater, lathe ===== Alternative forms ===== batton (archaic) ===== Derived terms ===== battenboard battenless counter batten sweat batten ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== batten (third-person singular simple present battens, present participle battening, simple past and past participle battened) (transitive) To furnish (something) with battens (noun etymology 2 sense 1). (chiefly nautical) Chiefly followed by down: to fasten or secure (a hatch, opening, etc.) using battens (noun etymology 2 sense 2.2). Antonym: unbatten ===== Derived terms ===== batten down batten down the hatches battened (adjective) battening (noun) unbatten ===== Translations ===== === References === === Further reading === batten on Wikipedia.Wikipedia batten (theater) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia sail batten on Wikipedia.Wikipedia batten (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia == German == === Alternative forms === baten === Etymology === Debated. A comparable form is synonymous Dutch baten, which pertains to the Germanic root at hand in English batten and better. At least a secondary relation with this Dutch verb seems certain. However, its regular cognate is Old High German bazzen (“to batten”), which would have led to modern *bassen, bässen. Mere borrowing from Low German or Dutch is unlikely since the verb has -t- in western Upper German and a corresponding -d- in many dialects of West Central German. Possibly two distinct roots have been merged. === Verb === batten (weak, third-person singular present battet, past tense battete, past participle gebattet, auxiliary haben) (obsolete, western Germany) to be useful, to be of use, to help Synonyms: nutzen, nützen ==== Conjugation ==== == Middle High German == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (before 13th CE) /ˈbatːən/ === Verb === batten alternative form of badeten