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

Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga sat in the dugout with his head in his hand after the final out of the National League Division Series in Milwaukee. —Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026

But rarely does that guy take on the same mood and tone while wearing a Major League Baseball uniform, sitting in a dugout, while ostensibly being there to discuss his current job managing the San Francisco Giants. —Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026

But after a dreadful qualification campaign that featured 65 players, five different managers in the dugout, and not a single appearance from Ronaldo, Brazil just about made it to the World Cup. —Michael Cox, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026

Ford turned toward his dugout while heading toward second base and gave a celebratory hop and fist pump, but the hop proved to be catastrophic. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 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