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batten down the hatches

Prepare for trouble.

Etymology:

  • From the practice aboard a ship of sealing hatches to prevent water getting below-decks in a storm by using covers secured by strips of material, called battens, firmly attached to the frame of the hatch opening.
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Submitted on September 01, 2009

Additional definitions for 'batten down the hatches':

Batten Down the HatchesTo prepare for any sort of emergency before time by taking proper measures
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Nearby phrases

Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to batten down the hatches

argue downbite downbend downbear down onbear downbed them downargue downbear downbear downbed downa man hasn’t lost when he’s fallen down…batten downback downargue down

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    "batten down the hatches." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 Nov. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/batten-down-the-hatches_2259>.

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