hatchling
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of hatchling
Explanation
A hatchling is a baby bird that's just hatched from an egg. Any other animal that hatches from an egg is also a hatchling. Since you are human, you are NOT a hatchling. While hatchling is most often used for a young bird, newly-born turtles, tadpoles, and newts are all hatchlings too. Sometimes people find bird hatchlings in distress and nurse them back to health. Occasionally, these hatchlings seem to see their human caregivers as parents. Hatchling uses the diminutive -ling suffix, like the words gosling or duckling.
Vocabulary lists containing hatchling
The Wild Robot
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The View from Saturday
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Wolf Hollow
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Cronus, who had been with the former defence secretary since he was a hatchling, achieved internet fame after reports about his life alongside his owner in Westminster emerged in 2016.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
Standout reporting on Colossal has been done by Michael Le Page of the British journal New Scientist, whose most recent article bristled with skeptical takes about the hatchling announcement from established scientists.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
Without thoughtful intervention, these dense seaweed mats could gradually undermine hatchling survival and long-term conservation efforts.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 24, 2025
The fluid would have had the additional benefit of nourishing the hatchling mammals once they broke out.
From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2024
And one day after a storm, we rescued a batch of hatchling turtles and took them out to sea.
From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
