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- DictionaryBatten down the hatches
- ▪ secure a ship's hatch-tarpaulins, especially when rough weather is expected
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Batten comes from the name for an iron bar used to secure the covering of a hatchway on a ship, which was especially useful in preparation of stormy weather. The verb batten is used in variations of the phrase "batten down the hatches," which means "to prepare for a difficult or dangerous situation." It winds back to Latin battuere, meaning "to ...
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to fasten the entrances to the lower part of a ship using wooden boards. to prepare for a difficult situation: When you're coming down with flu all you can do is batten down the hatches and wait for it to pass. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Closing and blocking.
“Battens of the hatches: Long narrow laths serving by the help of nailing to confine the edges of the tarpaulins, and keep them close down to the sides of the hatchways in bad weather.” The misspellings ‘battern down the hatches’ and ‘baton down the hatches’ are sometimes found in print.
Prepare for trouble, as in Here comes the boss—batten down the hatches . This term originated in the navy, where it signified preparing for a storm by fastening down canvas over doorways and hatches (openings) with strips of wood called battens .
Jun 15, 2023 · "Batten down the hatches" means to prepare for difficult times or challenges ahead. What Does "Batten Down the Hatches" Mean? While often said in an ominous tone, "batten down the hatches" simply means prudent preparation, not panic.
If you batten down the hatches, you prepare for a difficult situation by doing everything you can to protect yourself. While most companies are battening down the hatches, fearing recession, Blenheim is leading an assault on the US market.
batten down one's hatches. a. Nautical. prepare for stormy weather: used as a command. b. to prepare to meet an emergency or face a great difficulty. The government must batten down its hatches before the election. See full dictionary entry for hatch.
