Scuttles

Scuttle is a term with several related senses. As a noun, it is a small opening in a ship’s deck or hull, fitted with a hinged cover, used for ventilation, access, or light. A deadlight is often the glazed cover that keeps water out when the opening is closed. In ships, deck scuttles and hull scuttles may be opened from below or above and are designed to be watertight when shut. A coal scuttle is a separate domestic object: a metal container with a lid and handle kept beside a fireplace to hold coal.

As a verb, scuttle means to deliberately sink a ship by opening its hull or seacocks, thereby preventing capture. It also means to ruin or undermine a plan or project.

Historically, scuttling was employed as a defensive measure or a wartime tactic to deny the enemy access to a vessel. In everyday language, to scuttle a plan is a common figurative use.

The plural, scuttles, covers these senses: openings on ships, domestic coal containers, and the act of undermining or sinking.