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

Rushing broke his bat over his leg and slammed his leg guard on the dugout bench. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026

Lee slid in safely with a head-first slide to tie the game at two apiece, letting out a cathartic roar towards his dugout from his knees. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 15 May 2026

The people who hire and ultimately fire managers, and the coaches who spend six-plus months in the daily grind of the dugout with them, believe managers matter for a multitude of reasons. —Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 15 May 2026

In the dugout, where former City academy coach Calum McFarlane will face Guardiola for the second time as interim Blues boss. —Liam Twomey, New York Times, 15 May 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