batten

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 20, 2021 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>batten</strong> &#149; \BAT-un\&nbsp; &#149; <em>verb</em><br /> <p><em>Batten</em> means "to furnish or fasten with or as if with supports."</p> <p>// Residents <em>battened</em> down their doors and windows before the storm.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/batten#h3">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"Everything was <em>battened</em> down and they were all set to leave the round-the-clock eatery—until they discovered there was no key to the front door. It had been that long since they'd locked it." — Bob Yesbek, <em>The Cape Gazette</em> (Lewes, Delaware), 7 May 2021</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p><em>Batten</em> comes from the name for an iron bar used to secure the covering of a hatchway on a ship, which was especially useful in preparation of stormy weather. The verb <em>batten</em> is used in variations of the phrase "<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/batten#batten-down-the-hatches">batten down the hatches</a>," which means "to prepare for a difficult or dangerous situation." It winds back to Latin <em>battuere</em>, meaning "to beat."</p> <br /><br /> </p> </font>