battened

Verb

batten (third-person singular simple present battens, present participle battening, simple past and past participle battened)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To cause (an animal, etc.) to become fat or thrive through plenteous feeding; to fatten.
   • VVe drove a field, and both together heard / VVhat time the Gray-fly vvinds her ſultry horn, / Batt'ning our flocks vvith the freſh devvs of night, […]1637 (date written; published 1638), John Milton, “Lycidas”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC, page 58

   Synonyms:

   fleshen, stouten

2. (obsolete, rare, transitive) To enrich or fertilize (land, soil, etc.).
   • [O]thers [i.e., rivers] ariſing and running thorovv this Shire, doe ſo batten the ground, that the Medovves euen in the midſt of VVinter grovv greene; […]1612 (indicated as 1611), John Speed, “Stafford-shire”, in The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine: Presenting an Exact Geography of the Kingdomes of England, Scotland, Ireland, and the Iles...
3. (intransitive) To become better; to improve in condition; especially of animals, by feeding; to fatten up.
   • No, let him batten; when his tongue / Once goes, a cat is not worse strung.c. 1588 (date written; published 1591), John Lyly, Endimion, the Man in the Moone. […], London: […] I[ohn] Charlewood, for the widdowe Broome, →OCLC; republished George P[ierce] Baker, editor, New...

   Synonyms:

   fleshen, stouten

4. (intransitive) Of land, soil, etc.: to become fertile; also, of plants: to grow lush.
5. (intransitive, often passive voice) Followed by on: to eat greedily; to glut.
   • Could you on this faire Mountaine leaue to feed, / And batten on this Moore?c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac...
6. (figuratively, intransitive) Followed by on: to prosper or thrive, especially at the expense of others.
   • Robber barons who battened on the poor

See all 16 meanings of batten