hatch

verb

/hætʃ/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they hatch	/hætʃ/ /hætʃ/
he / she / it hatches	/ˈhætʃɪz/ /ˈhætʃɪz/
past simple hatched	/hætʃt/ /hætʃt/
past participle hatched	/hætʃt/ /hætʃt/
-ing form hatching	/ˈhætʃɪŋ/ /ˈhætʃɪŋ/

Idioms

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[intransitive] hatch (out) (of a young bird, fish, insect, etc.) to come out of an egg
- Ten chicks hatched (out) this morning.
- the newly hatched chicks
Topics Birdsc1, Fish and shellfishc1
[intransitive] 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.
- How long do the eggs take to hatch?
- The butterfly's eggs soon hatch into larvae.
Collocations The living world
The living worldAnimals
- animals mate/breed/reproduce/feed (on something)
- fish/amphibians swim/spawn (= lay eggs)
- birds fly/migrate/nest/sing
- insects crawl/fly/bite/sting
- insects/bees/locusts swarm
- bees collect/gather nectar/pollen
- spiders spin/weave a web
- snakes/lizards shed their skins
- bears/hedgehogs/frogs hibernate
- insect larvae grow/develop/pupate
- an egg/a chick/a larva hatches
- attract/find/choose a mate
- produce/release eggs/sperm
- lay/fertilize/incubate/hatch eggs
- inhabit a forest/a reef/the coast
- mark/enter/defend (a) territory
- stalk/hunt/capture/catch/kill prey
Plants and fungi
- trees/plants grow/bloom/blossom/flower
- a seed germinates/sprouts
- leaves/buds/roots/shoots appear/develop/form
- flower buds swell/open
- a fungus grows/spreads/colonizes something
- pollinate/fertilize a flower/plant
- produce/release/spread/disperse pollen/seeds/spores
- produce/bear fruit
- develop/grow/form roots/shoots/leaves
- provide/supply/absorb/extract/release nutrients
- perform/increase/reduce photosynthesis
Bacteria and viruses
- bacteria/microbes/viruses grow/spread/multiply
- bacteria/microbes live/thrive in/on something
- bacteria/microbes/viruses evolve/colonize something/cause disease
- bacteria break something down/convert something (into something)
- a virus enters/invades something/the body
- a virus mutates/evolves/replicates (itself)
- be infected with/contaminated with/exposed to a new strain of a virus/drug-resistant bacteria
- contain/carry/harbour bacteria/a virus
- kill/destroy/eliminate harmful/deadly bacteria
[transitive] hatch something to make a young bird, fish, insect, etc. come out of an egg
- The female must find a warm place to hatch her eggs.
[transitive] hatch something (up) to create a plan or an idea, especially in secret
- Have you been hatching up a deal with her?
- Rebel MPs are hatching a secret plot to oust the prime minister.

Word Originverb Middle English hacche; related to Swedish häcka and Danish hække.

Idioms

don’t count your chickens (before they are hatched)

(saying) you should not be too confident that something will be successful, because something may still go wrongTopics Successc2

hatch

noun

/hætʃ/

Idioms

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(also hatchway)
an opening or a door in a ship, aircraft or spacecraft
- The engineer was peering into the service hatch.
- an escape hatch
Topics Transport by waterc2, Transport by airc2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- closed
- open
- access
- …
verb + hatch
- lift
- open
- raise
- …
preposition
- through a/the hatch
- hatch between
- hatch to
- …
See full entry
an opening in a wall between two rooms, especially a kitchen and a dining room, through which food can be passed
- a serving hatch
Extra Examples
- She opened the serving hatch and put the soup on the counter.
- a hatch between the kitchen and the dining room
- a hatch to the dining room
Topics Houses and homesc2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- closed
- open
- access
- …
verb + hatch
- lift
- open
- raise
- …
preposition
- through a/the hatch
- hatch between
- hatch to
- …
See full entry
an opening or a door in a floor or ceiling
- a hatch to the attic
Extra Examples
- Leave the hatch open.
- She lifted the hatch and slid it away from the opening.
- Karen climbed through the hatch and disappeared from view.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- closed
- open
- access
- …
verb + hatch
- lift
- open
- raise
- …
preposition
- through a/the hatch
- hatch between
- hatch to
- …
See full entry

Word Originnoun Old English hæcc (denoting the lower half of a divided door), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hek ‘paling, screen’.

Idioms

batten down the hatches

to prepare yourself for a period of difficulty or trouble
- A natural tendency in times of recession is to batten down the hatches and think about our own needs.
Topics Difficulty and failurec2
(on a ship) to shut all the entrances to the lower part, especially because a storm is expected

down the hatch

(informal, saying) used before drinking something, especially to express good wishes before drinking alcohol