Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Nautical A raised covering over a small hatchway.
  • noun Offensive Slang An institution for the mentally ill.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Nautical, a wooden framework with sashes and a sliding cover, used in merchant vessels to cover the afterhatch.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Alternative form of booby-hatch.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun pejorative terms for an insane asylum

Etymologies

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Examples

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  • Aboard ship, a booby hatch is a sliding cover or hatch that must be pushed away to allow access or passage.

    December 10, 2007