- 1[intransitive] hatch (out) (of a young bird, fish, insect, etc.) to come out of an egg Ten chicks hatched (out) this morning.
- 2[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? Topic CollocationsThe 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
- 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/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/harbor bacteria/a virus
- kill/destroy/eliminate harmful/deadly bacteria
- 3[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.
- 4[transitive] hatch something (up) to create a plan or idea, especially in secret Have you been hatching up a deal with her? Idioms
hatch
verbNAmE//hætʃ//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they hatch he / she / it hatches
past simple hatched
-ing form hatching
you should not be too confident that something will be successful, because something may still go wrong
Check pronunciation: hatch