Hatchway

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A square or rectangular opening in a vessel or structure that allows for passage between levels or compartments
2. A designed entry point in marine or architectural contexts, facilitating access to different areas inside
3. An opening in a ship or building that allows access between different levels or areas

Etymology: A "hatchway" is about as transparent as compounds get: it joins "hatch," an opening in a floor, ship's deck or wall, with "way," a passage or route. The pairing describes what the thing does, a passage through an opening, rather than the opening alone. Its parts are old English words in their own right, so the compound is a plain combination of two familiar elements. The sense that matters most at sea is the nautical one. On a ship, a hatchway is the framed opening in a deck through which people and cargo pass between levels, and it is the sense the definition above points to. Architecture uses the same logic for openings that lead between floors or rooms, so the word moved from the ship to the building without changing its meaning.

Synonyms: opening, entrance, access, doorway