I. ˈhach noun
Etymology: Middle English hache, from Old English hæc; akin to Middle Dutch hecke trapdoor
Date: before 12th century
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. : compartment
3. : floodgate
II. verb
Etymology: Middle English hacchen; akin to Middle High German hecken to mate
Date: 13th century
intransitive verb
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
transitive verb
1.
a. : to produce (young) from an egg by applying natural or artificial heat
b. : incubate 1a
2. : to bring into being : originate ; especially : to concoct in secret
hatch a plot
• hatch·abil·i·ty ˌha-chə-ˈbi-lə-tē noun
• hatch·able ˈha-chə-bəl adjective
• hatch·er noun
III. noun
Date: 1601
1. : an act or instance of hatching
2. : a brood of hatched young
IV. transitive verb
Etymology: Middle French hacher to chop, slice up, incise with fine lines, from Old French hachier — more at hash
Date: 15th century
1. : to inlay with narrow bands of distinguishable material
a silver handle hatch ed with gold
2. : to mark (as a drawing or engraving) with fine closely spaced lines
V. noun
Date: 1658
: line ; especially : one used to give the effect of shading