An opening in the deck or roof of a ship, building, or vehicle, covered by a hatch that can be opened or closed.
Hatch (Old English hæc 'grate') + way (Old English weg 'path, direction'). Combines to mean 'the opening or passage where a hatch is located'.
On cargo ships, hatchways are marvels of engineering—they seal watertight during storms but open wide enough to load entire shipping containers in hours!
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