to batten down
7
7.6
- phrasal verb
:
asegurar
- We're battening down for the storm right now, so I don't have time to reply.
- batten down the hatches
Well, ladies and gentlemen, batten down the hatches because there is more news in tonight's Stormy watch.
- Well, ladies and gentlemen, batten down the hatches because there is more news in tonight's Stormy watch.
Examples
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When you finish clearing up, you better batten down the hatches and stay below.
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Batten down all hatches!
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All we can do now is batten down and ride it out.
Fiction book (1998) -
I want you to batten down my hatch.
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We'll batten down the hatches and secure the deck.
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As a result of the uncertainty, more companies are battening down the hatches.
Blog text (33) -
Time to batten down.
Blog text (31) -
Well, ladies and gentlemen, batten down the hatches because there is more news in tonight's Stormy watch.
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Jodi's alum canceled their lunch because she lived in a flood-prone area and wanted to get home early to batten down the hatches.
Blog text (18) -
As the storm approaches, we need to batten down the hatches to keep the water out.
Synonyms
5
8.6
To fix long thin strips of wood or metal over something to make it stronger and hold it down
How Secure
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to furnish or secure something with battens' is directly compositional from 'batten' (a strip used to fasten or reinforce) plus the particle 'down' indicating fastening/bringing down/securely fixed. Although somewhat specialized (maritime) vocabulary, the action is literal and predictable from the constituents, so a B1 learner who knows the parts would likely infer the meaning.
Etymology
Batten down comes from sailors who fastened wooden strips called battens over a ship's doors and hatches to hold them down during a storm. So, today batten down means 'to make something safe or secure', especially before bad weather.