dugout

American  

[duhg-out] / ˈdʌgˌaʊt /

noun

• dugouts
  plural

1. a boat made by hollowing out a log.

2. Baseball. a roofed structure enclosed on three sides and with the fourth side open and facing the playing field, usually with the floor below ground level, where the players sit when not on the field.

3. a rough shelter or dwelling formed by an excavation in the ground, in the face of a bank, in the side of a hill, etc., especially one used by soldiers.

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dugout British  

/ ˈdʌɡˌaʊt /

noun

1. a canoe made by hollowing out a log

2. military a covered excavation dug to provide shelter

3. slang a retired officer, former civil servant, etc, recalled to employment

4. (at a sports ground) the covered bench where managers, trainers, etc sit and players wait when not on the field

5. (in the Canadian prairies) a reservoir dug on a farm in which water from rain and snow is collected for use in irrigation, watering livestock, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dugouts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dugout

1715–25, noun use of verb phrase dug out

Explanation

In baseball, a dugout is the area reserved for one team to sit while players wait for their turn at bat. Each team has its own dugout. A dugout is typically a low structure with a roof that's open at the front so the players can see the baseball field. One team's dugout is in the foul zone between third base and home plate, and the other's is between first base and home plate. Baseball dugouts are named for the original dugouts, temporary military trenches where troops shelter during battle. A boat made from a hollowed out log is another kind of dugout.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dugout dugouts

He said after the adrenaline wore off, he motioned to the dugout that he might need a pinch-hitter in the bottom half of the eighth.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman tracked Royals hitter Isaac Collins’ fly ball through foul territory to just outside the visiting dugout at Dodger Stadium.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

He is still registered to play for the non-league club but these days prefers to coach from the dugout and pass on his experience to players.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

The U.S. landed on the man who was already in the dugout.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

A dugout canoe seems such a fragile bird to carry that weight.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

As the two went back and forth, Dodgers reliever Edgardo Henriquez pulled his catcher away from the heated exchange, but players from both dugouts and bullpens already began to spill onto the field.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

The four shelter in forest dugouts, hunting and gathering by day and telling stories at night.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

His face bore the extreme exhaustion typical of men who have spent too long in front-line dugouts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2026

At Manchester United, some fans behind the dugouts are being relocated to convert those seats into 'premium-priced' hospitality areas.

From BBC ● May 10, 2025

We went into one of the dugouts and sat on the bench.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña

Related Words

• cave
• cellar