hole in one

American  

noun

Golf.

1. ace.

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hole in one British  

noun

1. a shot from the tee that finishes in the hole

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verb

1. (intr) to score a hole in one

hole in one Idioms  

1. A perfect achievement, as in Tim scored a hole in one on that test. The term alludes to a perfect stroke in golf, where one drives the ball from the tee into the hole with a single stroke. [c. 1900]

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Etymology

Origin of hole in one

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Then came Norr’s second hole in one on Thursday, making Suarez’s prediction pretty impressive.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

"But we found that a very active, supermassive black hole in one galaxy can affect other galaxies across millions of light-years, suggesting that galaxy evolution may be more of a group effort."

From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026

A prisoner pressed his face to a small, square hole in one of the cell doors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

There were back-to-back birdies at 11 and 12 -- where she nearly had a hole in one with an eight-iron from 140 yards.

From Barron's • Nov. 14, 2025

He’d just dug a hole in one of Persephone’s flower beds, which I didn’t figure would make the queen very happy.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• achievement
• advantage
• defeat
• gain
• grand slam
• hit
• sweep
• triumph
• winning