battement

[Fr. battement = a beating; from battre = to beat.] A beating. bắt-těn, † bắt-ton, s. & a. [Fr. bâton = a stick, a staff, or Eng. bat (1) (q.v.).] A. As substantive: 1. Carp .: A plank of wood from 2 to 7 inches wide, 24 inches thick, and from 6 to 50 feet long. They are used for floors, and, reared upright on the inner face of walls, afford supports to which the laths for the plastering may be affixed. Battens differ from deals in never being so much, while deals are never so little, as seven inches wide. "A batten is a scantling of wood, two, three, or four inches broad, seldom above one thick, and the length unlimited." - Mozon. 2. The movable bar of a loom which strikes in or closes the threads of a woof. ( Francis .) 3. Naut .: Thin pieces of wood nailed to the mast-head and to the midship post of the yard. Battens of the hatches: Scantlings of wood or cask-hoops rendered straight, which are used to keep the margin of the tarpaulins close to the hatches during storms at sea. B. As adjective: Of or pertaining to battens. batten-end, s. A batten le than six feet in length.