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
Carly Fisher, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
The slide-out module on the trailer's left expands the interior to comfortably fit a transverse double bed, while the open hatch on the opposite side can support an auxiliary tent to grow out the sheltered space.
—New Atlas, 29 Oct. 2025
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
The larvae then hatches from the eggs and burrows into tissue of animals to feed on them.
—Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hatch
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Noun
Some due diligence is required to understand what happens when your cannabis goes down the hatch, but never fear.
—Carly Fisher, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
The slide-out module on the trailer's left expands the interior to comfortably fit a transverse double bed, while the open hatch on the opposite side can support an auxiliary tent to grow out the sheltered space.
—New Atlas, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
Last March, paranormal investigator and Ghost Adventures star Aaron Goodwin was informed that his wife Victoria Goodwin had helped hatch an alleged murder-for-hire plot against him.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
The larvae then hatches from the eggs and burrows into tissue of animals to feed on them.
—Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 21 Oct. 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 31 Oct. 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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