Definition of "battens" [battens]

• Plural form of batten. (noun)

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• "At this time of year, as the legal community battens down the hatches against recession, and law students gaze over the desolate, frigid waste of their summer employment prospects, some might be tempted to give in to despair and seek alternative employment."
• "For roofing iron, the addition of extra purlins or battens and additional screws is a further benefit."
• "It is a parasitic growth that battens on the capitalist class."