Word
hatched
US/ˈhætʃt/
UK/hˈætʃt/
Definition
adj. describing a plan or idea that someone has created in secret. It often implies that the plan is clever or perhaps a bit dishonest.
adj. describing a scheme, plot, or idea that has been formulated or devised, typically in secrecy. Often used as a participial adjective following a linking verb or as part of a passive construction.
Examples
“The secret plan was hatched in a dark room.”
“The detectives discovered that the bank robbery had been hatched months ago by a group of former employees.”
“While the public believed the merger was a sudden development, the details had actually been hatched during a series of clandestine meetings held throughout the previous winter.”
Examples
simple
“The secret plan was hatched in a dark room.”
contextual
“The detectives discovered that the bank robbery had been hatched months ago by a group of former employees.”
complex
“While the public believed the merger was a sudden development, the details had actually been hatched during a series of clandestine meetings held throughout the previous winter.”
Usage
Often appears in the passive voice or as a past participle modifying a noun like 'plan', 'plot', or 'scheme'.
Real-World Examples
“In 1982, in Japan, he “hatched the idea of leaving my old life behind and walking across the country.” “If all goes well, they will return in a few years’ time to the area where they hatched and produce their own young.” Scan code
englishreference.com/q/hatched