Scuttle
Scuttle turns up in 2 fields: maritime, building. Here is what it means to the people in each one.
Scuttle in maritime
To deliberately sink a vessel by opening holes in its hull below the waterline.
The intentional sinking of a ship by its own crew, usually by opening seacocks, blowing out the bottom plates, or breaching the hull. This extreme measure is taken to prevent the vessel from falling into enemy hands, to dispose of a derelict hull safely, or to create an artificial reef.
"The captain gave the order to scuttle the ship rather than let the pirates capture the cargo."
Scuttle in building
A small hatch providing access to a roof or attic space.
A framed opening with a removable or hinged cover that allows workers to climb onto a flat roof or into an enclosed attic. Commercial roof scuttles are usually metal, weather-stripped, and equipped with gas springs to assist opening, while residential attic scuttles might just be a piece of drywall resting on trim inside a closet ceiling.
"The HVAC tech went up through the roof scuttle to check the condenser."