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booby hatch

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noun
  1. Nautical.
    1. a small hatch giving access to a ladder from the weather deck of a vessel to the interior of the hull.
    2. a small companion secured over a deck opening.
    3. a hoodlike hatch cover having a sliding top.
  2. Slang.
    1. an insane asylum.
    2. jail.
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Origin of booby hatch

First recorded in 1830–40
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for booby hatch

booby hatch

noun
  1. a hoodlike covering for a hatchway on a ship
  2. US offensive, slang a mental hospital
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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