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

At the top of the dugout stairs, he put his hand over his heart and acknowledged the cheering crowd.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

"There's mental fatigue and turmoil in the dugout, I can understand that," he told Test Match Special.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

Snell threw two pitches to Hao-Yu Lee and then, after a conversation with home plate umpire Chris Guccione, headed off the field and disappeared down the dugout tunnel.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

A surprising return to England came via the Everton dugout, where Ancelotti delivered successive mid-table finishes before Real Madrid came calling.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

And third: the moment my butt hits the bench in the dugout this afternoon—you know, for this practice I’m sitting out of—Britt-Marie appears in front of me.

From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

The delays with erecting "much-needed fortifications" or the "low quality of some of the dugouts" could no longer be ignored, DeepState analysts said.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2025

Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino added: "It's really scary. It's terrifying. I mean, we all sit in these dugouts every night and in a lot of ways you kind of feel like sitting ducks."

From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2025

Crew chief Marvin Hudson emerged from the huddle and issued warnings to both dugouts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2025

He’s doing a sweep of the bleachers and dugouts, making sure no one left anything behind, like he always does after practices.

From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner

Related Words

• cave
• cellar