/ hætʃ; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
1.
[ v ] hatch (out) ( of a young bird, fish, insect, etc. ) to come out of an egg :
Ten chicks hatched (out) this morning.
2.
[ v ] hatch (out) ( of an egg ) to break open so that a young bird, fish, insect, etc. can come out :
The eggs are about to hatch.
3.
[ vn ] to make a young bird, fish, insect, etc. come out of an egg :
The female must find a warm place to hatch her eggs.
4.
[ vn ] hatch sth (up) to create a plan or idea, especially in secret :
Have you been hatching up a deal with her?
•
IDIOMS
see count verb
■ noun
1.
(also hatch·way ) an opening or a door in the deck of a ship or the bottom of an aircraft, through which goods to be carried are passed
2.
an opening in a wall between two rooms, especially a kitchen and a dining room , through which food can be passed :
a serving hatch
3.
a door in an aircraft or a spacecraft :
an escape hatch
4.
an opening or a door in a floor or ceiling :
a hatch to the attic
•
IDIOMS
- down the hatch
—more at batten
••
WORD ORIGIN
noun Old English hæcc (denoting the lower half of a divided door), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hek paling, screen.
verb Middle English hacche ; related to Swedish häcka and Danish hække .