hatching

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hatching (countable and uncountable, plural hatchings)

1. (art, drawing, drafting) A method of shading areas of a drawing or diagram with fine parallel lines.
2. (zoology) A group of birds, reptiles, fish, insects, etc., which emerge from their eggs at the same time.

   We got a good hatching from the swallowtail eggs.

3. (zoology) The act of an egg hatching, eclosion.
4. Patterns used in construction drawings to represent various materials.

• cross-hatching

hatching

1. present participle and gerund of hatch