hole in one

noun

Golf.

1. ace.

hole in one

noun

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

verb

1. (intr) to score a hole in one

Word History and Origins

Origin of hole in one¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Example Sentences

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

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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.

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But digging a giant hole in one of the world’s most environmentally and culturally sensitive regions is no easy task, said Bloise, who spent much of his career developing Carajás, the world’s largest iron-ore mine, also located in the Amazon.

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Frenchman Romain Langasque provided a wonderful moment with a hole in one on the 145-yard par-three 14th.

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After the favorable outcome for his clients was announced, Los Angeles attorney Bob Cooper quipped to a New York Times reporter that it was the legal equivalent of hitting “a hole in one.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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