- booby hatch
- noun Date: 1840 1. a raised framework with a sliding cover over a small hatch on a ship 2. a psychiatric hospital
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
booby hatch
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Booby hatch — Booby Boo by (b[=oo] b[y^]), n.; pl. {Boobies} ( b[i^]z). [Sp. bobo dunce, idiot; cf. L. balbus stammering, E. barbarous.] [1913 Webster] 1. A dunce; a stupid fellow. [1913 Webster] 2. (Zo[ o]l.) (a) A swimming bird ({Sula fiber} or {Sula sula})… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Booby hatch — Hatch Hatch, n. [OE. hacche, AS. h[ae]c, cf. haca the bar of a door, D. hek gate, Sw. h[ a]ck coop, rack, Dan. hekke manger, rack. Prob. akin to E. hook, and first used of something made of pieces fastened together. Cf. {Heck}, {Hack} a frame.] 1 … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
booby hatch — n [singular] AmE old fashioned informal a mental hospital … Dictionary of contemporary English
booby hatch — n. 1. a covering over a small hatchway on a ship ☆ 2. Slang an institution for the mentally ill … English World dictionary
booby hatch — [“bubi...] n. a mental hospital. □ I was afraid they would send me to the booby hatch. □ Don’t you mean send you back to the booby hatch? … Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions
booby hatch — noun pejorative terms for an insane asylum • Syn: ↑Bedlam, ↑crazy house, ↑cuckoo s nest, ↑funny farm, ↑funny house, ↑loony bin, ↑madhouse, ↑nut house, ↑nuthouse, ↑ … Useful english dictionary
booby hatch — n a psychiatric hospital. A jocular term, originally from North America. The asso ciation with boob and booby is obvious; hatch or hutch is an archaic term for many different enclosures and contain ers … Contemporary slang
booby hatch — 1. Naut. a. a small hatch giving access to a ladder from the weather deck of a vessel to the interior of the hull. b. a small companion secured over a deck opening. c. a hoodlike hatch cover having a sliding top. 2. Slang. a. an insane asylum. b … Universalium
booby hatch — boo′by hatch n. 1) naut. navig. naut. navig. (on a vessel) a small companion secured over a deck opening 2) sts Slang. a) an insane asylum b) jail • Etymology: 1830–40 … From formal English to slang
booby hatch — /ˈbubi hætʃ/ (say boohbee hach) noun 1. Nautical a wooden hood over a hatch. 2. US Colloquial a psychiatric hospital. 3. US Colloquial a jail …
