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Noun: batten  ba-t(u)n
  1. A strip fixed to something to hold it firm
    "They used battens to secure the tarpaulin over the boat"
Verb: batten  ba-t(u)n
  1. Fasten or fix firmly in place, especially to prepare for bad weather or difficult conditions
    "batten ships"; "The crew battened down the hatches before the storm";
    - batten down, secure
     
  2. Secure with battens
    "batten down a ship's hatches"

Sounds like: baton

Derived forms: battened, battening, battens

Type of: beef up [informal], fortify, strengthen, strip

Encyclopedia: Batten, John