Hatch

/hætʃ/

Meaning & Definition

noun

an opening in the floor or roof of a building, often leading to a loft or ship's hold.

The crew climbed through the hatch to access the lower deck of the ship.

a young animal that has just emerged from an egg.

The hatch of seabirds was closely monitored by the researchers on the island.

verb

to emerge from an egg, as a young bird or reptile.

The chicks began to hatch from their eggs after three weeks of incubation.

to create or devise a plan or idea.

The team will hatch a strategy to increase sales in the upcoming quarter.

to cause an egg to open and release its contents.

The warm weather helped to hatch the turtle eggs on the beach.

Middle English 'hacchen', from Old English 'hæccan', meaning to hold, grasp.

hatch a plan

to devise a scheme or strategy.

hatchery

a place for hatching fish or poultry.

hatchling

a very young animal that has just hatched.

under the hatch

beneath a hatch or opening.

hatch up

to prepare or create something, usually a plan.

hatchery

a facility for hatching eggs.

hatchling

a baby animal that has just hatched.

hatchway

an opening in a deck of a ship.

hatching

the process of an egg breaking open.

To devise a clever plan or scheme, often in a sneaky way.

They really hatched a wild idea for the prank.

To exit a situation suddenly.

When things got boring, he just hatched out of the party.