batten
bat·ten/ˈbætən/verb, noun
batten is spelled B-A-T-T-E-N: 6 letters and 2 syllables (bat·ten). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,832nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, batten means “To become better; to improve in condition; especially of animals, by feeding; to fatten up” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in batten?
| Letters | 6: B-A-T-T-E-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: bat·ten |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 39,832nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people search | |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is batten?
Batten appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,832nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce batten?
- UK /ˈbæt(ə)n/
- US /ˈbætən/
- US [-ɾən]
Batten has 2 syllables, split bat·ten in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-batten.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with batten
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with batten?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as batten from its last stressed vowel (/ætən/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of batten
- battens present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- battening participle, present
- battened participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
- more batten comparative
- most batten superlative
- batton
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does batten mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo cause (an animal, etc.) to become fat or thrive through plenteous feeding; to fatten.
- 2
obsoleterareTo enrich or fertilize (land, soil, etc.).
- 3
To become better; to improve in condition; especially of animals, by feeding; to fatten up.
- 4
Of land, soil, etc.: to become fertile; also, of plants: to grow lush.
- 5
Followed by on: to eat greedily; to glut.
- 6
Followed by on: to prosper or thrive, especially at the expense of others.
Robber barons who battened on the poor
- 7
To gloat at; to revel in.
- 8
To gratify a morbid appetite or craving.
- 9
To furnish (something) with battens (noun etymology 2, noun sense 1).
- 10
Chiefly followed by down: to fasten or secure (a hatch, opening, etc.) using battens (noun etymology 2, noun sense 2.2).
noun
- 1
A plank or strip of wood, or several of such strips arranged side by side, used in construction to hold members of a structure together, to provide a fixing point, to strengthen, or to prevent warping.
- 2
A strip of wood holding a number of lamps; especially (theater), one used for illuminating a stage; (by extension, also attributive) a long bar, usually metal, affixed to the ceiling or fly system and used to support curtains, scenery, etc.
- 3
A long, narrow strip, originally of wood but now also of fibreglass, metal, etc., used for various purposes aboard a ship; especially one attached to a mast or spar for protection, one holding down the edge of a tarpaulin covering a hatch to prevent water from entering the hatch, one inserted in a pocket sewn on a sail to keep it flat, or one from which a hammock is suspended.
- 4
The movable bar of a loom, which strikes home or closes the threads of a woof.
adjective
- 1
obsoleteSynonym of battle (“of grass or pasture: nutritious to cattle or sheep; of land (originally pastureland) or soil: fertile, fruitful”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Batten in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | gedeihen , aufpäppeln, mästen , schmarotzen , sich an etwas weiden , Dachlatte |
| Spanish | mejorar , cebar , aprovecharse, medrar , alfarda, barreta |
| French | volige |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does batten come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).