hatch

¹

[hach]

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

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

[hach]

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.

hatch

³

[hach]

verb (used with object)

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

2. hachure.

noun

1. a shading line in drawing or engraving.

hatch

¹

/ 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

hatch

²

/ 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)

noun

1. the act or process of hatching

2. a group of newly hatched animals

hatch

³

/ hætʃ /

verb

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

hatch

⁴

/ hætʃ /

noun

1. informal,  short for hatchback

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of hatch¹

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

Origin of hatch²

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

Origin of hatch³

C15: from Old French hacher to chop, from hache _hatchet

Idioms and Phrases

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.

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

Example Sentences

Ending the series by showing her opening the hatch, pulling down the ladder and climbing up lets us know she’s found peace.

From Salon

Thousands of adoring fans had watched them hatch on a 24-hour webcam that monitors the family and now they were growing up — fast.

From Los Angeles Times

She hatched the idea of having women welders fix her up.

From Los Angeles Times

The eggs hatch into maggots which burrow into the wound or the membrane, feeding on the living flesh.

From BBC

“Well,” Herr said, “we just hatched a plan.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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