dugout

noun

dug·​out ˈdəg-ˌau̇t 

1

: a boat made by hollowing out a large log

2

a

: a shelter dug in a hillside

also : a shelter dug in the ground and roofed with sod

b

: an area in the side of a trench for quarters, storage, or protection

3

: either of two low shelters on either side of and facing a baseball diamond that contain the players' benches

Examples of dugout in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The home run and the bat flip energized Cleveland's dugout and the 30,101 fans in attendance at Progressive Field. — Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026

Ohtani turned to the Dodgers’ dugout, spread his arms wide and tossed his bat to the side. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Channeling a little jalapeño fire from the stands couldn't hurt a dugout looking to turn the tide. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Bauers followed with a 412-foot drive to right field on the 11th pitch of the at-bat for a 3-2 lead as most of the players in Milwaukee's dugout came onto the field to celebrate. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dugout

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

dugout

noun

dug·​out ˈdəg-ˌau̇t 

1

: a boat made by hollowing out a log

2

: a shelter dug in a hillside or in the ground

3

: a low shelter facing a baseball diamond and containing the players' bench