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

Bonds invited Holman into the dugout at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. —Zack Meisel, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025

Manager Carlos Mendoza leapt from the dugout and signaled to the bullpen for Kranick, sending Peterson to get checked out by doctors. —Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 6 Apr. 2025

Cubs designated hitter Seiya Suzuki ran through the outfield between innings Monday evening, which drew laughter from his teammates in the dugout. —Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 2 Apr. 2025

Back in the dugout for a second spell as manager is David Moyes, whose sides play better when sitting deep and striking on the counter-attack. —Eduardo Tansley, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025

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