Hatch vs. Latch — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 26, 2024
A hatch is a type of door or entryway, often used on ships or aircraft, while a latch is a mechanism used to fasten a door or gate, ensuring it stays closed.
Difference Between Hatch and Latch
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Key Differences
A hatch generally refers to a type of door or opening, typically horizontal but sometimes vertical, used for access to different areas, particularly in vessels like ships and aircraft. On the other hand, a latch is a device used to secure such openings and other types of doors, ensuring that they remain closed until deliberately opened.
Hatches are designed to be functional and accessible, often integrating features like sealing to prevent water or air ingress, crucial in environments like submarines or airplanes. Whereas latches are designed for security and ease of use, including simple mechanical designs like bolt latches or more complex ones like electronic locking systems.
The construction of a hatch may include heavy-duty materials and specialized designs to withstand external pressures, especially on submarines or spacecraft. In contrast, latches can be made from a variety of materials, including metal, plastic, or wood, depending on the required strength and the environment in which they are used.
Hatches might be used as emergency exits or cargo access points in large vehicles and buildings, making them critical for safety and operational functionality. Conversely, latches are more universally used in everyday applications, from garden gates to bathroom doors, highlighting their versatility in securing a range of openings.
Installation of a hatch is often a part of the structural design of a building or vehicle, requiring professional fitting and alignment to ensure safety and integrity. Meanwhile, latches are typically easier to install and can often be added or replaced by most people with basic DIY skills.
ADVERTISEMENT
Comparison Chart
Definition
An opening or door in a floor, ceiling, or wall.
A fastening device that holds a door or gate closed.
Primary Material
Often made of metal, reinforced for strength and safety.
Can be made of metal, plastic, or wood.
Function
Provides access to different compartments or areas.
Secures doors or gates, preventing unwanted opening.
Use Environment
Commonly found in ships, aircraft, and industrial settings.
Used in a wide range of environments, from homes to industrial areas.
Installation
Requires structural integration and professional installation.
Generally user-installed with basic tools.
Compare with Definitions
Hatch
Integrated into the structural design of vehicles or buildings.
The emergency hatch in an aircraft is crucial for passenger safety.
Latch
Can be mechanical or electronic in design.
The door’s electronic latch releases with a card swipe.
Hatch
A door or access point on a floor or ceiling, often leading to different compartments.
The hatch on the ship deck leads to the lower storage area.
Latch
Used to secure both interior and exterior doors.
The bathroom door is fitted with a privacy latch.
Hatch
Often features seals and locking mechanisms.
The hatch seals were checked to ensure they are airtight and watertight.
Latch
A fastening mechanism for doors and gates.
The garden gate is secured with a simple latch.
Hatch
Designed to withstand external pressures and environments.
Submarine hatches are reinforced to prevent water ingress.
Latch
Made from a variety of materials to suit different needs.
The wooden latch matches the rustic style of the barn door.
Hatch
Can serve as emergency exits or cargo access points.
The warehouse has a loading hatch for easy access to the storage area.
Latch
Easy to install and replace as needed.
I replaced the old latch on the kitchen door with a new brass model.
Hatch
A door in an aircraft, spacecraft, or submarine.
Latch
A latch or catch (called sneck in Northern England and Scotland) is a type of mechanical fastener that joins two (or more) objects or surfaces while allowing for their regular separation. A latch typically engages another piece of hardware on the other mounting surface.
Hatch
The rear door of a hatchback car
A spare wheel mounted on the rear hatch
Latch
A fastening, as for a door or gate, typically consisting of a bar that fits into a notch or slot and is lifted from either side by a lever or string.
Hatch
Short for hatchback
Latch
A spring lock, as for a door, that is opened from the outside by a key.
Hatch
A newly hatched brood
A hatch of mayflies
Latch
To close or lock with a latch.
Hatch
(of an egg) open and produce a young animal
Eggs need to be put in a warm place to hatch
Latch
To have or be closed with a latch.
Hatch
Conspire to devise (a plot or plan)
The little plot that you and Sylvia hatched up last night
Latch
To shut tightly so that the latch is engaged
A door too warped to latch.
Hatch
(in fine art and technical drawing) shade (an area) with closely drawn parallel lines
The unused space has been hatched with lines
Latch
To close or lock as if with a latch.
Hatch
An opening, as in the deck of a ship, in the roof or floor of a building, or in an aircraft.
Latch
(transitive) To catch; lay hold of.
Hatch
The cover for such an opening.
Latch
(obsolete) To smear; to anoint.
Hatch
A hatchway.
Latch
A fastening for a door that has a bar that fits into a notch or slot, and is lifted by a lever or string from either side.
Hatch
A door that opens upward on the rear of an automobile; a hatchback.
Latch
(electronics) An electronic circuit that is like a flip-flop, except that it is level triggered instead of edge triggered.
Hatch
A floodgate.
Latch
(obsolete) A latching.
Hatch
The act or an instance of hatching from an egg or similar structure.
Latch
(obsolete) A crossbow.
Hatch
The act or an instance of emerging from a cocoon or chrysalis.
Latch
(obsolete) That which fastens or holds; a lace; a snare.
Hatch
The act or an instance of emerging from the water when transforming from an aquatic larval or pupal form to a winged form.
Latch
A breastfeeding baby's connection to the breast.
Hatch
A group of young organisms, especially birds, that hatch at one time; a brood.
Latch
(database) A lightweight lock to protect internal structures from being modified by multiple concurrent accesses.
Hatch
A group of adult insects that emerge at one time.
Latch
To smear; to anoint.
Hatch
A group of winged insects, as mayflies or caddisflies, that emerge at one time from a body of water.
Latch
To catch so as to hold.
Those that remained threw darts at our men, and latching our darts, sent them again at us.
Hatch
A fine line used in hatching.
Latch
To catch or fasten by means of a latch.
The door was only latched.
Hatch
To emerge from an egg or other structure that surrounds and protects an embryo.
Latch
That which fastens or holds; a lace; a snare.
Hatch
To emerge from a cocoon or chrysalis.
Latch
A movable piece which holds anything in place by entering a notch or cavity; specifically, the catch which holds a door or gate when closed, though it be not bolted.
Hatch
To emerge from the water when transforming from an aquatic larval or pupal form to a winged form, as a mayfly or caddisfly.
Latch
A latching.
Hatch
To produce (young) from an egg or eggs.
Latch
A crossbow.
Hatch
To cause (an egg or eggs) to produce young.
Latch
Spring-loaded doorlock that can only be opened from the outside with a key
Hatch
To devise or originate, especially in secret
Hatch an assassination plot.
Latch
Catch for fastening a door or gate; a bar that can be lowered or slid into a groove
Hatch
To shade by drawing or etching fine parallel or crossed lines on.
Latch
Fasten with a latch;
Latch the door
Hatch
A horizontal door in a floor or ceiling.
Hatch
A trapdoor.
Hatch
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.
Hatch
A small door in large mechanical structures and vehicles such as aircraft and spacecraft often provided for access for maintenance.
Hatch
(nautical) An opening through the deck of a ship or submarine
Hatch
(slang) A gullet.
Hatch
A frame or weir in a river, for catching fish.
Hatch
A floodgate; a sluice gate.
Hatch
(Scotland) A bedstead.
Hatch
(mining) An opening into, or in search of, a mine.
Hatch
The act of hatching.
Hatch
(figurative) Development; disclosure; discovery.
Hatch
(poultry) A group of birds that emerged from eggs at a specified time.
These pullets are from an April hatch.
Hatch
(often as mayfly hatch) The phenomenon, lasting 1–2 days, of large clouds of mayflies appearing in one location to mate, having reached maturity.
Hatch
(informal) A birth, the birth records (in the newspaper).
Hatch, match, and dispatch
Hatch
(transitive) To close with a hatch or hatches.
Hatch
To emerge from an egg.
Hatch
To break open when a young animal emerges from it.
Hatch
(transitive) To incubate eggs; to cause to hatch.
Hatch
(transitive) To devise (a plot or scheme).
Hatch
(transitive) To shade an area of (a drawing, diagram, etc.) with fine parallel lines, or with lines which cross each other (cross-hatch).
Hatch
To cross; to spot; to stain; to steep.
Hatch
To cross with lines in a peculiar manner in drawing and engraving. See Hatching.
Shall win this sword, silvered and hatched.
Those hatching strokes of the pencil.
Hatch
To cross; to spot; to stain; to steep.
His weapon hatched in blood.
Hatch
To produce, as young, from an egg or eggs by incubation, or by artificial heat; to produce young from (eggs); as, the young when hatched.
As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not.
For the hens do not sit upon the eggs; but by keeping them in a certain equal heat they [the husbandmen] bring life into them and hatch them.
Hatch
To contrive or plot; to form by meditation, and bring into being; to originate and produce; to concoct; as, to hatch mischief; to hatch heresy.
Fancies hatchedIn silken-folded idleness.
Hatch
To produce young; - said of eggs; to come forth from the egg; - said of the young of birds, fishes, insects, etc.
Hatch
To close with a hatch or hatches.
'T were not amiss to keep our door hatched.
Hatch
The act of hatching.
Hatch
Development; disclosure; discovery.
Hatch
The chickens produced at once or by one incubation; a brood.
Hatch
A door with an opening over it; a half door, sometimes set with spikes on the upper edge.
In at the window, or else o'er the hatch.
Hatch
A frame or weir in a river, for catching fish.
Hatch
A flood gate; a sluice gate.
Hatch
A bedstead.
Hatch
An opening in the deck of a vessel or floor of a warehouse which serves as a passageway or hoistway; a hatchway; also; a cover or door, or one of the covers used in closing such an opening.
Hatch
An opening into, or in search of, a mine.
Hatch
The production of young from an egg
Hatch
Shading consisting of multiple crossing lines
Hatch
A movable barrier covering a hatchway
Hatch
Emerge from the eggs;
Young birds, fish, and reptiles hatch
Hatch
Devise or invent;
He thought up a plan to get rich quickly
No-one had ever thought of such a clever piece of software
Hatch
Inlay with narrow strips or lines of a different substance such as gold or silver, for the purpose of decorating
Hatch
Draw, cut, or engrave lines, usually parallel, on metal, wood, or paper;
Hatch the sheet
Hatch
Sit on (eggs);
Birds brood
The female covers the eggs
Common Curiosities
How do you choose the right latch for a door?
The choice depends on the door's material, usage frequency, and required security level, with options ranging from simple bolt latches to key-operated locks.
Are hatches always located on floors or ceilings?
While often found on floors or ceilings for space and convenience, hatches can also be wall-mounted, depending on their purpose.
How long do latches typically last?
The durability of a latch depends on its construction material and environmental exposure but generally, they have a long lifespan with proper maintenance.
Can latches be easily replaced if they break?
Yes, most latches can be easily replaced with basic tools and a new latch of the same type.
Is professional installation required for hatches?
For structural integrity and safety, professional installation is recommended for hatches, especially in critical environments like ships and aircraft.
What is a hatch used for?
A hatch is used as an access point on ships, aircraft, and in buildings, often providing passage between different areas.
What types of latches are suitable for outdoor use?
Latches for outdoor use are typically made from weather-resistant materials like stainless steel or coated metals.
Are all hatches designed to be watertight and airtight?
In environments like ships and submarines, hatches are designed to be watertight and airtight, but this may not be necessary for all applications.
Can a latch be used on a hatch?
Yes, latches are commonly used to secure hatches, ensuring they stay closed until intentionally opened.
What safety features can hatches have?
Safety features may include reinforced structures, waterproof seals, and emergency release mechanisms.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Irrelevant vs. Relevant
Next Comparison
Criminate vs. CriminationAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
