batten
/ˈbætən/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.74 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To cause (an animal, etc.) to become fat or thrive through plenteous feeding; to fatten.
Obsolete; Transitive verb
verb
To become better; to improve in condition; especially of animals, by feeding; to fatten up.
Intransitive verb
Example Sentences
- "VVe drove a field, and both together heard / VVhat time the Gray-fly vvinds her ſultry horn, / Batt'ning our flocks vvith the freſh devvs of night, […]"
- "[O]thers [i.e., rivers] ariſing and running thorovv this Shire, doe ſo batten the ground, that the Medovves euen in the midſt of VVinter grovv greene; […]"
- "No, let him batten; when his tongue / Once goes, a cat is not worse strung."
- "Like enough, Sir, ſhee'll doe forty ſuch things in an houre (an you liſten to her) for her recreation, if the toy take her i'the greaſie kerchiefe: it makes her fat you ſee. Shee battens vvith it."
- "VVe eate our ovvne, and batten more, / Becauſe vve feed on no mans ſcore: / But pitie thoſe vvhoſe flanks grovv great, / Svvel'd vvith the Lard of others meat."
- "Our vvomen batten vvell on their good-nature; / All they can rap and rend for the dear creature."
Etymology
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. Cognates * Dutch baten (“to avail, benefit, profit”) * Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌱𐌰𐍄𐌽𐌰𐌽 (gabatnan, “to benefit, profit”) * Icelandic batna (“to improve, recover”) * Old English batian (“to get better, recover”)
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈbætən/
- British English: /ˈbæt(ə)n/
Usage
Inflected Forms
battens (present, singular)
battening (participle, present)
battened (participle, past)
battened (past)
no-table-tags (table tags)
glossary (inflection template)
battened (first person, past)
battenest (archaic, present)
battened (past, second person)
battenedst (archaic, past)
batteneth (archaic, present)
battened (past, singular)