BATTEN

Batten

A batten is a thin strip of solid material, typically made from wood, plastic or metal. Battens are used in building construction and various other fields as both structural and purely cosmetic elements. In the steel industry, battens may also be referred to as "top hats", in reference to the profile of the metal.

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batten

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 become better; improve in condition, especially by feeding.
  2. To feed ; to revel .
  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.

Verb (etymology 2)

  1. To furnish with battens.
  2. To fasten or secure a hatch etc using battens.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: batten
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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