1
: a small door or opening (as in an airplane or spaceship)
an escape hatch
2
a
: an opening in the deck of a ship or in the floor or roof of a building
b
: the covering for such an opening
c
: hatchway
d
3
hatched; hatching; hatches
1
: to produce young by incubation
2
a
: to emerge from an egg, chrysalis, or pupa
b
: to give forth young or imagoes
3
: to incubate eggs : brood
1
a
: to produce (young) from an egg by applying natural or artificial heat
2
: to bring into being : originate
especially
: to concoct in secret
hatch a plot
hatched; hatching; hatches
1
: to inlay with narrow bands of distinguishable material
a silver handle hatched with gold
2
: to mark (something, such as a drawing or engraving) with fine closely spaced lines
plural hatches
: a mark, line, or stroke (as in a drawing or engraving) made usually by a single movement of a pen, pencil, etc.
especially
: one made in parallel with others to give the effect of shading
Dots, hatches, crosshatches, flowing lines, scribbles—use them all! —
Courtney Jordan
Courtney Jordan I continue to refine and tighten the drawing as I develop the form and color with overlapping hatches. —Jill Bossert
Jill Bossert Scientists have been unable to determine whether the hatches of the lower part of the drawing were done by a right- or left-handed person. —Elian Peltier
Elian Peltier [Adobe] Illustrator's new filters include Ink Pen, for creating organic-looking hatches … —Mike Heck and Karen Mitchell
Mike Heck and Karen Mitchell Examples of hatch in a Sentence
Verb (1)
the mallards and geese have begun hatching in their nests down by the pond
Noun (2)
watertight hatches provided access through the ship's bulkheads
Recent Examples on the Web
NBC News, 19 Mar. 2025
On Monday, Renault debuted a sequel: the Renault 5 Turbo 3E, an all-electric 540 hp hot hatch set for limited production in 2027.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 18 Mar. 2025
Tom Polansek, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2025
Owners can look out for signs their hens are ready to hatch eggs of their own, according to poultry raising equipment experts Hatching Time.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hatch
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Noun
Before the hatch is opened, crews will do a final inspection of the spacecraft to make sure no hazardous materials are present.
—NBC News, 19 Mar. 2025
On Monday, Renault debuted a sequel: the Renault 5 Turbo 3E, an all-electric 540 hp hot hatch set for limited production in 2027.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 18 Mar. 2025
Verb
Meat, eggs dumped Each year, broiler chickens lay about 360 million eggs that are not fit to hatch chicks, according to the council.
—Tom Polansek, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2025
Owners can look out for signs their hens are ready to hatch eggs of their own, according to poultry raising equipment experts Hatching Time.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hatch
Cite this Entry
“Hatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hatch. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hatch
1 of 5 noun1
: an opening in a deck, floor, or roof
2
: a small door or opening (as in an airplane)
3
: the covering for a hatch
hatch
2 of 5 verb1
a
: to produce from eggs
the hen hatched chicks
b
: incubate sense 1
the hen hatched the eggs
2
a
: to emerge from an egg, pupa, or chrysalis
the chicks hatched today
b
: to give forth young
the eggs hatched today
3
: to bring into being : originate
especially
: to organize or put together in secret
hatch a plot
hatch
3 of 5 noun1
: an act or instance of hatching
2
: a brood of hatched young
hatch
4 of 5 verb
: to mark (as the shading in a picture) with hatching
hatch
5 of 5 noun
: a line, stroke, or mark made especially to produce hatching that gives the effect of shading
Etymology
Noun
Old English hæc "small door or opening"
Verb
Middle English hacchen "to cause to be born out of an egg"
Verb
Middle English hachen "to mark with a pattern of fine lines," from early French hacher "to inlay, chop up," derived from earlier hache "battle-ax"; of Germanic origin — related to hash entry 1, hatchet
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