hatching

hatching — verb

1. When a young bird, reptile, or insect comes out of its egg by breaking the shell

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

When a young bird, reptile, or insect comes out of its egg by breaking the shell; or when an adult animal keeps eggs warm so that the young come out.

Example

After three weeks, Hiro watched the baby turtles hatch and crawl toward the sea.

intransitive — young animal + hatch

The biologist kept the lizard eggs in a warm box until they hatched.

Common collocations
  • hatch from an egg
  • newly hatched
  • hatch eggs
  • hatch out
Synonyms
  • emerge

    broader — any kind of coming out, not just from an egg

  • come out

    more general and less precise; usable in everyday speech

Grammar Patterns

animal + hatch

hatch (from/out of something)

hatch + egg(s)

newly hatched

Usage Note

Can be used transitively (the hen hatches her eggs) or intransitively (the eggs hatch). Subject is usually an animal, egg, or a speaker describing animal development. Common in nature writing and biology contexts.

Common Mistakes

The chick hatched the egg and came out.
The chick hatched from the egg and came out.
The young animal is the intransitive subject; it does not act on the egg.

2. To think of and develop a plan, especially one that is intended to be kept secre

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

To think of and develop a plan, especially one that is intended to be kept secret from other people.

Example

The prisoners hatched a daring plan to escape through a secret tunnel.

collocation: hatch a plan

Valentina and her cousin hatched a scheme to surprise their grandmother for her eightieth birthday.

collocation: hatch a scheme — can be friendly or sly

Common collocations
  • hatch a plan
  • hatch a plot
  • hatch a scheme
  • hatch a deal
Synonyms
  • devise

    more formal; does not always imply secrecy

  • concoct

    suggests clever or slightly dishonest invention

  • plot

    stronger negative connotation; implies harmful intent

Grammar Patterns

hatch + a plan/plot/scheme/deal

Usage Note

Frequently paired with nouns like plan, plot, scheme, or deal that imply secrecy or deception. More common in narrative writing, news, and storytelling than in casual conversation.

Common Mistakes

We hatched a plan to go to the beach.' (no secrecy)
We made a plan to go to the beach.
Hatch suggests secrecy or cleverness; for everyday plans use make or come up with.

hatching — noun

Word family

  • hatch
    verbB1
  • hatched
    adjectiveB1
  • hatchling
    nounB2
  • hatchery
    nounC1
  • hatcher
    nounC1
  • cross-hatching
    nounC1
  • unhatched
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Hatch is specifically about breaking out of an egg — it is the only natural word to use for chicks, turtles, or insects leaving their eggshell. Emerge is broader; it can describe coming out of any enclosed space (a cave, a car, a meeting) and is more formal. Come out is the everyday general alternative but lacks the biological precision of hatch. For example, you would say 'The chicks have hatched' (not 'emerged') in a nature diary, but 'The audience emerged from the theatre' (not 'hatched'). In casual speech, 'when do the chicks come out?' is fine, but for scientific or nature writing, hatch is the standard term.

hatch ↗emerge ↗come out ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • newly hatched
  • hatch a plan
  • cross-hatching technique

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The verb 'hatch' (to break out of an egg) comes from Old English 'hǣċċan', from a Germanic root meaning 'to lift up' or 'to germinate'. The noun sense for drawing fine lines comes from a different source: Old French 'hacher' (to chop or cut), which also gave English 'hatchet'. The two meanings merged under the same spelling in modern English but developed independently.