booby hatch

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.

booby hatch

noun

1. a hoodlike covering for a hatchway on a ship

2. offensive,  a mental hospital

Word History and Origins

Origin of booby hatch¹

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Smoking half a joint wasn’t necessarily a one-way ticket to the booby hatch, and a den, I was gently told, was not the same as a basement.

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And how much luggage was she able to bring with her to the booby hatch, as the matron calls it?

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Its beam gives safety, and also minimises the inconvenience of the centre-board case in the cabin, and a high booby hatch would give head-room. 

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Cushner led the way forward to the ornate forecastle and Stirling glanced down through the open booby hatch, to where a row of bunks lined each side of the ship.

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I made my way to the cuddy front, and just as I halted beside a group of women at the booby hatch, James Back came to the door of the saloon.

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Related Words

• mental health institution www.thesaurus.com
• psychiatric hospital www.thesaurus.com
• psychiatric ward www.thesaurus.com