hatch

1
[ hach ]
See synonyms for: hatchhatchedhatching on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to bring forth (young) from the egg.

  2. to cause young to emerge from (the egg) as by brooding or incubating.

  1. to bring forth or produce; devise; invent; contrive; concoct: to hatch a scheme.

verb (used without object)
  1. to be hatched.

  2. to brood.

noun
  1. the act of hatching.

  2. something that is hatched, as a brood.

Origin of hatch

1
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English hacchen. hetchen; akin to German hecken “(of birds) to mate, incubate, hatch”

Other words for hatch

Other words from hatch

  • hatch·a·ble, adjective
  • hatch·a·bil·i·ty, noun
  • hatcher, noun
  • un·hatch·a·bil·i·ty, noun
  • un·hatch·a·ble, adjective

Words Nearby hatch

Other definitions for hatch (2 of 3)

hatch2
[ hach ]

noun
  1. Nautical.

    • Also called hatchway. an opening, usually rectangular, in the deck through which passengers can pass, cargo can be loaded or unloaded, etc.

    • the cover over such an opening.

  2. an opening that serves as a doorway or window in the floor or roof of a building.

  1. the cover over such an opening.

  2. Slang. the throat as used for drinking: His usual toast was a muttered “Down the hatch!”

  3. Aeronautics. an opening or door in an aircraft.

  4. the lower half of a divided door, both parts of which can be opened separately.

  5. a small door, grated opening, or serving counter in or attached to the wall of a building, room, etc., as for a merchant's stall.

  6. a bin or compartment built into a confined space, especially a deep storage bin.

  7. Automotive.

    • the cargo area in a hatchback.

    • Also called liftgate. the hinged lid of a hatchback that swings upward to provide access to the cargo area.

  8. anything resembling a hatch.

Origin of hatch

2
First recorded before 1100; Middle English hacche, hache, hatche “lower half of a divided door, small door, gate,” Old English hæcc, hæc “grating, hatch, half-gate”; akin to Dutch hek “fence, gate, railing”

Other definitions for hatch (3 of 3)

hatch3
[ hach ]

verb (used with object)
  1. to mark with lines, especially closely set parallel lines, as for shading in drawing or engraving.

noun
  1. a shading line in drawing or engraving.

Origin of hatch

3
First recorded in 1470–80; earlier hache, from Middle French hacher “to cut up,” derivative of hache “ax”; see origin at hatchet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use hatch in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hatch (1 of 4)

hatch1

/ (hætʃ) /


verb
  1. to cause (the young of various animals, esp birds) to emerge from the egg or (of young birds, etc) to emerge from the egg

  2. to cause (eggs) to break and release the fully developed young or (of eggs) to break and release the young animal within

  1. (tr) to contrive or devise (a scheme, plot, etc)

noun
  1. the act or process of hatching

  2. a group of newly hatched animals

Origin of hatch

1
C13: of Germanic origin; compare Middle High German hecken to mate (used of birds), Swedish häcka to hatch, Danish hække

Derived forms of hatch

  • hatchable, adjective
  • hatcher, noun

British Dictionary definitions for hatch (2 of 4)

hatch2

/ (hætʃ) /


noun
  1. a covering for a hatchway

    • short for hatchway

    • a door in an aircraft or spacecraft

  1. Also called: serving hatch an opening in a wall between a kitchen and a dining area

  2. the lower half of a divided door

  3. a sluice or sliding gate in a dam, dyke, or weir

  4. down the hatch slang (used as a toast) drink up!

  5. under hatches

    • below decks

    • out of sight

    • brought low; dead

Origin of hatch

2
Old English hæcc; related to Middle High German heck, Dutch hek gate

British Dictionary definitions for hatch (3 of 4)

hatch3

/ (hætʃ) /


verb
  1. art to mark (a figure, shade, etc) with fine parallel or crossed lines to indicate shading: Compare hachure

Origin of hatch

3
C15: from Old French hacher to chop, from hache hatchet

Derived forms of hatch

  • hatching, noun

British Dictionary definitions for hatch (4 of 4)

hatch4

/ (hætʃ) /


noun
  1. informal short for hatchback

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with hatch

hatch

see batten down the hatches; count one's chickens before they hatch; down the hatch.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.