dugout

noun

dug·​out ˈdəg-ˌau̇t 

1

: a boat made by hollowing out a large log

2

a

: a shelter dug in a hillside

also : a shelter dug in the ground and roofed with sod

b

: an area in the side of a trench for quarters, storage, or protection

3

: either of two low shelters on either side of and facing a baseball diamond that contain the players' benches

Examples of dugout in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Basallo misjudged it, taking an unhurried shuffle up the line, before the ball glanced off his glove and rolled toward the Dodgers dugout. —Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026

The latter of those two strikeouts was followed by audible boos originating from the stands behind the Braves dugout. —Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 19 June 2026

Meanwhile, several Yankees, including Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham and Clarke Schmidt, could be seen smirking and smiling in the dugout as a trainer tended to Chisholm. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 19 June 2026

Bob Feller, left, and Satchel Paige, pitchers for the Cleveland Indians in 1949 pose for a photo in the Indians dugout. —Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dugout

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

dugout

noun

dug·​out ˈdəg-ˌau̇t 

1

: a boat made by hollowing out a log

2

: a shelter dug in a hillside or in the ground

3

: a low shelter facing a baseball diamond and containing the players' bench