noun
clutch
A group of eggs laid at one time.
The bird guards a clutch of eggs.
Etymology
The older form cletch named a brood or hatching. Clutch preserves that reproductive grouping, identifying eggs laid together as one set rather than eggs collected at random.
More examples
- Several clutches hatched that spring.
- The nest held a small clutch.
- The researchers counted each clutch.
Forms
clutch · clutches
Similar words
- brood
- Brood can name hatched young rather than unhatched eggs.
- nestful
- Nestful describes what fills a nest rather than eggs laid together.