hatchery

noun

hatch·​ery ˈha-chə-rē 

plural hatcheries

: a place for hatching eggs (as of poultry or fish)

Examples of hatchery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Butte Creek holds one of only three fully wild spring-run populations left in the valley, fish with no hatchery in their lineage. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 20 Sep. 2026

Current funding will cover only a couple of years of hatchery space, fish food and other expenses for only some of those populations. — CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026

Federal, state and tribal fishery programs have since undertaken major hatchery restocking and predator control efforts and even helped wild fish navigate waterfalls to reach spawning grounds in some cases. — Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Stripers are also hatchery raised and stocked by the millions in suitable freshwater lakes from Virginia to the southwestern United States. — Ken Perrotte, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

hatchery

noun

hatch·​ery ˈhach-(ə-)rē 

plural hatcheries

: a place for hatching eggs

a fish hatchery