Meaning
To prepare thoroughly for trouble or danger, securing everything tight.
Origin
From 19th-century seafaring, where 'batten'-wooden strips-sealed ship hatches against waves, noted in an 1830s naval log. By 1883, a 'Times' report used it for storm prep.
Variants
- Batten the hatches
- Down the hatches
Usage Examples
- Batten down the hatches; a big storm's coming!
- She battened down the hatches before the audit hit.
- We're battening down the hatches for this lawsuit.