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 Red Sox had already spilled out of the dugout but had to put their celebration on hold. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2026

There has been a major shift in the boardroom, with a consortium featuring businessmen Amit Bhatia and Jeff Bezos buying just under 40 per cent of the club from Fenway Sports Group, and a fresh face in the dugout. — Andy Jones, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

During a 10-minute scrum in the visitors’ dugout before Friday night’s series opener, Devers, through a Giants team translator, echoed many of the sentiments shared by the aforementioned stars and countless other ex-Red Sox upon their returns. — Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 21 Aug. 2026

Getty Images Real Madrid go into 2026-27 with a familiar face back in the dugout and a squad rebuilt around him. — Sam Leveridge, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 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