booby hatch
noun
Nautical.
- a small hatch giving access to a ladder from the weather deck of a vessel to the interior of the hull.
- a small companion secured over a deck opening.
- a hoodlike hatch cover having a sliding top.
Slang.
- an insane asylum.
- jail.
QUIZZES
CAN YOU GUESS THESE WORDS FROM AROUND THE US?
American English is not always as it appears to be ... get to know regional words in this quiz!
Question 1 of 10
A bet is synonymous with a wager, but what does it mean in New York?
Origin of booby hatch
First recorded in 1830–40
Words nearby booby hatch
booboisie, boo-boo, boobook, boob tube, booby, booby hatch, booby prize, booby trap, boodie, boodle, boofhead
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for booby hatch
booby hatch
noun
a hoodlike covering for a hatchway on a ship
US offensive, slang a mental hospital
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012