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.

---

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

---

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

While he has not had much experience in the dugout, he has worked with many top managers and players.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

De Paula tossed his bat aside, looked into the Dodgers dugout and slapped his chest across the letters.

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

The Dodgers should sit Raman in their dugout come playoff time, because her knack for rallying from behind is almost preternatural.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

She was given her own little private plywood cabin in a corner of the dugout where the other pilots slept.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Before their Championship debut, Wrexham added new TV gantries, moved the dugouts and spent £2m on adding under-soil heating to the pitch.

From BBC ● Apr. 15, 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

As the American League stormed back from a 6-0 deficit in Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic, a rarely contemplated reality started to dawn in both dugouts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2025

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

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