booby hatch: Meaning and Definition of

boo'by hatch"

Pronunciation: [key]
    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.
    1. an insane asylum.
    2. jail.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.