hatch

¹ American  

[hach] / hætʃ /

verb (used with object)

1. to bring forth (young) from the egg.

   Synonyms:

   brood, incubate

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

3. to bring forth or produce; devise; invent; contrive; concoct.

   to hatch a scheme.

   Synonyms:

   plot, plan

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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.

hatch ² American  

[hach] / hætʃ /

noun

1. Nautical.

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

   2. the cover over such an opening.

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

3. the cover over such an opening.

4. Slang. the throat as used for drinking.

   His usual toast was a muttered “Down the hatch!”

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

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

7. 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.

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

9. Automotive.

   1. the cargo area in a hatchback.

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

10. anything resembling a hatch.

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idioms

1. batten down the / one's hatches,

   1. Nautical. prepare for stormy weather: used as a command.

   2. to prepare to meet an emergency or face a great difficulty.

      The government must batten down its hatches before the election.

hatch ³ American  

[hach] / hætʃ /

verb (used with object)

1. to mark with lines, especially closely set parallel lines, as for shading in drawing or engraving.

2. hachure.

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noun

1. a shading line in drawing or engraving.

hatch ¹ British  

/ hætʃ /

noun

1. a covering for a hatchway

2. 1. short for hatchway

   2. a door in an aircraft or spacecraft

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

4. the lower half of a divided door

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

6. slang (used as a toast) drink up!

7. 1. below decks

   2. out of sight

   3. brought low; dead

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hatch ² British  

/ 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

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

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noun

1. the act or process of hatching

2. a group of newly hatched animals

hatch ³ British  

/ hætʃ /

verb

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

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hatch ⁴ British  

/ hætʃ /

noun

1. informal short for hatchback

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hatch More Idioms  

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

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Other Word Forms

• hatchability noun
• hatchable adjective
• hatcher noun
• hatching noun
• unhatchability noun
• unhatchable adjective

Etymology

Origin of hatch¹

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

Origin of hatch²

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”

Origin of hatch³

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

Example Sentences

Late last January, Jackie laid a rare third egg, and all three hatched.

From Los Angeles Times

A small band of brothers stayed, and within months they hatched a plan to reopen the school by the 1973 academic year.

From The Wall Street Journal

Christopher, wiping the salt from the boat’s light hatches with a rag, saw her turn suddenly to the Berserker.

From Literature

“Batten down the hatches! Battle of Britain! RAF on offensive!”

From Literature

New arrivals are handed a few items through a hatch: a shirt, a jacket, trousers and a coat, all blue.

From Barron's

Related Words

• breed
• come up with
• conceive
• concoct
• devise
• dream up
• formulate
• incubate
• invent
• originate
• spawn