Defn: A vessel whose deck consists almost wholly of movable hatches; — used mostly in the fisheries.

HATCHEL
Hatch"el, n. Etym: [OE. hechele, hekele; akin to D. hekel, G. hechel,
Dan. hegle, Sw. häkla, and prob. to E. hook. See Hook, and cf.
Hackle, Heckle.]

Defn: An instrument with long iron teeth set in a board, for cleansing flax or hemp from the tow, hards, or coarse part; a kind of large comb; — called also hackle and heckle.

HATCHEL
Hatch"el, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Hatcheled or Hatchelled (; p. pr. & vb.
n. Hatcheling or Hatchelling.] Etym: [OE. hechelen, hekelen; akin to
D. hekelen, G. hecheln, Dan. hegle, Sw. häkla. See Hatchel, n.]

1. To draw through the teeth of a hatchel, as flax or hemp, so as to separate the coarse and refuse parts from the fine, fibrous parts.

2. To tease; to worry; to torment. [Colloq.]

HATCHELER
Hatch"el*er, n.

Defn: One who uses a hatchel.

HATCHER
Hatch"er, n.

1. One who hatches, or that which hatches; a hatching apparatus; an incubator.