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
• hatcher
  noun
• hatching
  noun
• unhatchability
  noun
• hatchable
  adjective
• 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”; see origin at hatchet

Explanation

A bird such as a hen that sits on eggs to incubate them can be said to hatch the eggs. Then, when the chick emerges from the egg, you can also say it hatched. Humans don't hatch eggs like birds do, but they can still incubate and then hatch a plan, invention, or idea. You may hatch a plan to surprise a friend for her thirtieth birthday party, but to ensure you don't end up with egg on your face, you should verify your friend isn't actually twenty-nine for the third year in a row! As a noun, a hatch is a trapdoor or other opening in the floor, ceiling, or wall that allows access.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hatch

Salmon also suffered, partly because drought had affected inland rivers, where Chinook and Coho migrate to spawn, eggs hatch, and salmon fry swim back downstream to the ocean.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

Up to two Artemis III astronauts wearing orange Orion crew survival system suits will open the hatch and enter the Blue Origin test lander.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026

The highlight of any walkaround is the R2’s powered hatch window, which is so practical I can hardly contain myself.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026

In the midst of his experience with social media fame, Markos told the BBC: "My chicken is better now. I'm going to give her the 12 eggs I saved so she can hatch them."

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

A bulkhead is a wall, a door is a hatch, the kitchen is the galley, the dining room is the mess, a stairway is a ladder.

From "Crash" by Jerry Spinelli

Related Words

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