ˈbübē- noun
Etymology: perhaps from booby (bird) + hatch; from its being a favorite resting place of these birds aboard ship
1. : a raised framework with a sliding cover over a small hatch ; specifically : a hatch in the stern leading to quarters below the deck
2.
[influenced in meaning by booby (dunce)]
a. : an insane asylum
the pressure drove him into the booby hatch
b. : a place felt to resemble an insane asylum (as in frantic or purposeless activity or in zany characters)