8 letters · 12 points in Scrabble
verb fortify by furnishing with battlements for defense
verb prepare for battle or conflict
originFrom Middle English enbatelen, enbatailen, from Old French *embastiller ("to fortify"; > Middle Latin imbataliare, imbattajare), from en- + + bastiller (“to build, fortify, embattle”). More at baste.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0