hatch, match and despatch

Noun

hatch (plural hatches)

1. A horizontal door in a floor or ceiling.
   • Moving the wardrobe revealed a previously hidden hatch in the ground.
2. A trapdoor.
3. An opening in a wall at window height for the purpose of serving food or other items. A pass through.
   • The cook passed the dishes through the serving hatch.
4. A small door in large mechanical structures and vehicles such as aircraft and spacecraft often provided for access for maintenance.
   • A surprising number of incidents is due to roof hatches being left loose or in the raised position when locomotives return to service after maintenance. On one occasion, a 25kV overhead line was damaged by an open hatch.1963 February, “Diesel locomotive faults and their remedies”, in Modern Railways, page 100
5. An opening through the deck of a ship or submarine
6. (slang) A gullet.

See all 23 meanings of hatch