hatch
hatch — verb
1. when a baby bird, fish, or insect breaks the shell of its egg and comes out; or
when a baby bird, fish, or insect breaks the shell of its egg and comes out; or when someone helps this happen by keeping the eggs warm
The ducklings **hatched** from their eggs and followed their mother to the pond.
intransitive: hatch from an egg
For her science project, Élise used an incubator to **hatch** chicken eggs in her classroom.
transitive: hatch [eggs] with an incubator
The zookeeper turned the turtle eggs gently each day and waited for them to **hatch**.
Last spring, three baby robins **hatched** in the nest outside our kitchen window.
文法句型
hatch [intransitive] — the egg/chick hatches
hatch [transitive] — the mother/incubator hatches the eggs
用法筆記
The phrasal verb hatch out emphasises the moment of breaking through the shell: 'The chicks hatched out at dawn.' The transitive pattern (hatch eggs) is common when describing human-controlled incubation, while the intransitive pattern is used for the natural process.
常見錯誤
2. to think of and develop a plan or idea, especially one that is kept secret from
to think of and develop a plan or idea, especially one that is kept secret from others
Three students **hatched** a plan to surprise their teacher on the last day of school.
collocation: hatch a plan
The criminals **hatched** a secret scheme to break into the museum vault at midnight.
collocation: hatch a scheme (often secret or illegal)
During their lunch break, Walid and Shanti **hatched** an idea for a new community garden.
The neighbourhood watch group **hatched** a clever plan to stop the recent thefts.
文法句型
hatch + a plan / a scheme / a plot / an idea
用法筆記
This sense of hatch is always followed by the object being planned (a plan, scheme, plot, or idea). It often carries a tone of secrecy or trickery, but can also be used playfully for harmless surprises.
常見錯誤
hatch — noun
1. an opening on a ship, aircraft, or in a floor or wall, which can be sealed with
an opening on a ship, aircraft, or in a floor or wall, which can be sealed with a solid cover to stop water, air, or objects from passing through
The sailor climbed up through the **hatch** and stepped out onto the deck.
physical opening on a ship
Minh opened the roof **hatch** to let fresh air into the car during the drive.
vehicle hatch: roof hatch on a car
Before diving deeper, the submarine captain ordered all **hatches** to be sealed tightly.
The waiter passed the soup through the serving **hatch** between the kitchen and dining room.
文法句型
through a/the hatch
open/close a hatch
escape hatch
roof hatch
用法筆記
Hatch can refer either to the opening itself or to the cover that closes it. In ships and aircraft it is usually a heavy sealed door; in buildings it may be a simple flap in a wall (e.g. a serving hatch between a kitchen and dining room).