hatch

Definition

A horizontal door in a floor or ceiling.

Etymology

From Middle English hacche, hache, from Old English hæċ, from Proto-West Germanic *hakkju (compare Dutch hek ‘gate, railing’, Low German Heck ‘pasture gate, farmyard gate’), variant of *haggju ‘hedge’. More at hedge.

Example Sentences

• "Moving the wardrobe revealed a previously hidden hatch in the ground."
• "The cook passed the dishes through the serving hatch."
• "A service hatch with sliding shutter is situated at the end of the kitchen next to the dining compartment."