Meaning & use
batten hatches
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
to fasten boards over a ship's openings to keep water out in a storm
Grammar: Used as a verb phrase; often in the full form 'batten down the hatches'. It takes an object: batten the hatches.
Patterns
- batten the hatches
- batten down the hatches
The crew battened the hatches before the storm hit.
Sailors learn to batten hatches quickly when the weather turns bad.
phraseidiomfigurative
to prepare for a difficult or dangerous situation
Grammar: Usually in the fixed phrase 'batten down the hatches'; often used figuratively in news or business contexts.
Patterns
- batten down the hatches
With the economy slowing, companies are battening down the hatches.
The family battened down the hatches and waited for the exam results.
Word forms
| third person singular | battens hatches |
|---|---|
| past tense | battened hatches |
| past participle | battened hatches |
| -ing form | battening hatches |
Common combinations
- batten down the hatches
- The captain told the crew to batten down the hatches.
- batten the hatches
- They battened the hatches as the wind grew stronger.
- batten down for a storm
- We battened down for the storm and stayed inside.
Synonyms and how they differ
- secure
- 'Secure' is a general verb meaning to make something safe or fasten it; 'batten hatches' is much more specific to ships and storms.
Word family
Practice
Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Batten down the hatches' is the fixed idiom meaning to prepare for trouble. The other options break the fixed phrase or use the wrong grammar.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “batten hatches”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.