dugout

[duhg-out]

noun

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.

dugout

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of dugout¹

1715–25, noun use of verb phrase dug out

Example Sentences

MLB emergency medical procedures now require that naloxone be stored in clubhouses, weight rooms, dugouts and umpire dressing rooms at all ballparks.

From Los Angeles Times

He spent three years in the dugout at St James Park and went on to manage at Coleraine, his hometown club.

From BBC

As he walked back to the dugout, he glanced toward his teammates with a stoic glare.

From Los Angeles Times

Roberts was booed when he emerged from the dugout to remove Treinen, but whom did the fans want the manager to call on to pitch that inning instead?

From Los Angeles Times

If West Ham opt for a change in the dugout then it would be their third appointment since David Moyes left in May 2024.

From BBC

Related Words

• cave 
• cellar