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

After Saturday’s 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers, the entire Kansas City Royals dugout poured onto the field. — Kansas City Star, 26 July 2026

Acuña swung and missed and hopped on his left leg before walking tenderly back to the dugout. — Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 24 July 2026

That inning ended with Cardinals third baseman Blaze Jordan reaching into the third-base dugout to snag Tyler Heineman’s popup. — Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026

The New York Mets, according to multiple league sources who were granted anonymity to speak candidly, have also called pitches from the dugout. — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 22 July 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