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

Marcelo Bielsa, one of De Zerbi’s comparably volcanic predecessors in the dugout, famously threw in the towel as head coach during the post-match press conference that followed a 1-0 defeat by Caen on the season’s opening day in August 2015. —Tom Williams, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2025

Royce Lewis, who earlier in the game took his frustration out in the dugout, drove in the Twins’ final run with an RBI double in the ninth inning. —Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 21 Aug. 2025

Conrad had a chance to talk with Counsell for a few minutes near the Cubs dugout. —Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2025

Facing a team that entered the night with the highest batting average and fewest strikeouts in the majors -- and with almost certain future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer watching intently from the Toronto dugout — Skenes allowed five hits and struck out eight. —Will Graves, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2025

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