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foxhole

American  
[foks-hohl] / ˈfɒksˌhoʊl /

noun

  1. a small pit, usually for one or two soldiers, dug as a shelter in a battle area.

foxhole British  
/ ˈfɒksˌhəʊl /

noun

  1. military a small pit dug during an action to provide individual shelter against hostile fire

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of foxhole

First recorded in 1915–20; fox + hole

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Oleg Zamyatin, 54, testified that Hodniuk was not holding a gun when he emerged from the foxhole.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2025

I’ve learned that he’d be really good in a foxhole.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2023

Combining the lidar data with on-site investigation can reveal insights ranging from a single soldier digging a foxhole to “the global narrative of World War II.”

From Science Magazine • Aug. 14, 2023

“You’re seeing a few foxhole conversions as we approach the ’24 election,” Mr. Daines, Montana Republican, told The Times.

From Washington Times • Jun. 19, 2023

I finished knotting the bandage and Georgia Boy leaned back against the wall of our foxhole.

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.