hatch¹ / hach/ • n. an opening of restricted size allowing for passage from one area to another, in particular: ∎  a door in an aircraft, spacecraft, or submarine. ∎  an opening in the deck of a boat or ship leading to the cabin or a lower level, esp. a hold: a cargo hatch. ∎  an opening in a ceiling leading to a loft. ∎  an opening in a kitchen wall for serving or selling food through: a service hatch. ∎  the rear door of a hatchback car. ∎ short for hatchback.PHRASES: down the hatch inf. used in a toast; drink up.hatch² • v. 1. [intr.] (of a young bird, fish, or reptile) emerge from its egg: ten little chicks hatched out. ∎  (of an egg) open and produce a young animal: eggs need to be put in a warm place to hatch. ∎  [tr.] incubate (an egg): the eggs are best hatched under broody hens or in incubators. ∎  [tr.] cause (a young animal) to emerge from its egg: our penguins were hatched and hand-reared here.2. [tr.] conspire to devise (a plot or plan): the little plot that you and Sylvia hatched up last night.• n. a newly hatched brood: a hatch of mayflies.hatch³ • v. [tr.] (in fine art and technical drawing) shade (an area) with closely drawn parallel lines: [as n.] (hatching) the miniaturist's use of hatching and stippling.

hatch1 half-door, wicket OE.; †movable planking forming a deck, (now) framework covering openings in a deck XIII; flood-gate XVI. OE. hæċċ, heċċ, corr. to MLG. heck, MDu. hecke (Du. hek); f. Gmc. *χak-, of unkn. orig.

hatch2 bring forth from the egg. XIII. ME. hacche, pt. haʒte, pp. yhaht, iheyʒt and hacchid, hetchid, points to an OE. *hæċċan, rel. to MHG. hecken, Sw. häcka, Da. hække; of unkn. orig.

Hatch

a brood of young; a sitting of eggs—Wilkes.

Examples: hatch of eggs; of mayfly, 1894; of time, 1597.

hatch3 inlay XV; engrave lines on XVI. — (O)F. hacher, f. hache HATCHET.