batten down the hatches

batten down the hatches
phrasal to prepare for a difficult or dangerous situation

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • batten down the hatches — If you batten down the hatches, you prepare for the worst that could happen to you …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • batten down the hatches — 1. To prepare for a crisis 2. Orig to secure the hatches on a ship against bad weather • • • Main Entry: ↑batten …   Useful english dictionary

  • batten down the hatches — ► batten down the hatches 1) secure a ship s tarpaulins. 2) prepare for a difficulty or crisis. Main Entry: ↑batten …   English terms dictionary

  • batten down the hatches —    If you batten down the hatches, you prepare for the worst that could happen to you.   (Dorking School Dictionary)    ***    When you batten down the hatches, you prepare yourself for trouble or a forthcoming difficult period, like a ship… …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • batten down the hatches — to prepare yourself for a difficult period by protecting yourself in every possible way. When you re coming down with a cold, all you can do is batten down the hatches and wait for the body to fight it off …   New idioms dictionary

  • batten down the hatches — verb a) Prepare for trouble. b) To cover the hatches on a sailing ship with tarpaulins and nail the edges down with battens, to prevent water getting below decks in a storm …   Wiktionary

  • To batten down the hatches — Hatch Hatch, n. [OE. hacche, AS. h[ae]c, cf. haca the bar of a door, D. hek gate, Sw. h[ a]ck coop, rack, Dan. hekke manger, rack. Prob. akin to E. hook, and first used of something made of pieces fastened together. Cf. {Heck}, {Hack} a frame.] 1 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • batten down the hatches — Meaning Origin Nautical origin probably 18th century. A batten is a strip of wood; these were used to hold down sheets of canvas to cover hatchways in storms …   Meaning and origin of phrases

  • batten down the hatches — idi a) to cover a ship s hatches with tarpaulins held in place with battens b) to prepare to meet an emergency …   From formal English to slang

  • batten down the hatches — 1》 Nautical secure a ship s tarpaulins. 2》 prepare for a difficult situation. → batten …   English new terms dictionary

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