BATTEN

v. grow fat; live luxuriously at the expense of another; secure with battens

n. board, piece of wood used to hold something in place

A batten is a thin strip of solid material (usually wood). Battens are used for various purposes in various fields.In cabinetry, battens may be used to strengthen panels made up of multiple boards, as in a batten door, or to cover joins. In building construction, battens are fixed at right angles to the trusses or rafters of a roof to provide a fixing point for roofing sheet or roof tiles.In sailing, battens are long, thin strips (usually fiberglass, or some similar material, nowadays, but historically wooden) used to support the roach of a sail.
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Noun
1. stuffing made of rolls or sheets of cotton wool or synthetic fiber
(synonym) batting
(hypernym) stuffing
2. a strip fixed to something to hold it firm
(hypernym) strip
(derivation) batten down, secure
Verb
1. furnish with battens; "batten ships"
(synonym) batten down, secure
(hypernym) strengthen, beef up, fortify
2. secure with battens; "batten down a ship's hatches"
(hypernym) strengthen, beef up, fortify

v. bat (in a game of baseball, cricket, etc.)

(v. t.)
To make fat by plenteous feeding; to fatten.
  

(v. t.)
To furnish or fasten with battens.
  

(v. t.)
To fertilize or enrich, as land.
  

(v. t.)
The movable bar of a loom, which strikes home or closes the threads of a woof.
  

(v. i.)
To grow fat; to grow fat in ease and luxury; to glut one's self.
  

(n .)
A strip of sawed stuff, or a scantling; as, (a) pl. (Com. & Arch.) Sawed timbers about 7 by 2 1/2 inches and not less than 6 feet long. Brande & C. (b) (Naut.) A strip of wood used in fastening the edges of a tarpaulin to the deck, also around masts to prevent chafing. (c) A long, thin strip used to strengthen a part, to cover a crack, etc.