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.

From Literature

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

From New York Times

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. 

From Project Gutenberg

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.

From Project Gutenberg

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.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• mental health institution
• psychiatric hospital
• psychiatric ward