hole
Other forms: holes; holed; holing
A hole isn't just a hollow space dug out of the ground or punched out of something. When you're talking casually with friends, you can also call a place that's small or dumpy a hole, like a rundown town or a really tiny apartment.
The word hole comes from the Old English hol meaning "cave" which in prehistoric times wasn't just a dark space to hide, it was a home. The word hole is used in many contexts from a rabbit hole where rabbits live to "a hole in one" — the golf term. And, if you're feeling sick or depressed, you can hole up in your room — hiding away from the world, watching TV for hours.
Definitions of hole
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an opening into or through somethingtypes:aperturea natural opening in somethingbolt-holea hole through which an animal may bolt when pursued into its burrow or denbullet holea hole made by a bullet passing through itcrannya small opening or crevice (especially in a rock face or wall)leakan accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escapeozone holean area of the ozone layer (near the poles) that is seasonally depleted of ozoneperforationa hole made in somethingratholea hole (as in the wall of a building) made by ratsknotholea hole in a board where a knot came outpupilthe contractile aperture in the center of the iris of the eye; resembles a large black dotmicropyleminute opening in the wall of an ovule through which the pollen tube enters
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an opening deliberately made in or through somethingtypes:air holea hole that allows the passage of airarmholea hole through which you put your arm and where a sleeve can be attachedbungholea hole in a barrel or cask; used to fill or empty itcountersinka hole (usually in wood) with the top part enlarged so that a screw or bolt will fit into it and lie below the surfacecupthe hole (or metal container in the hole) on a golf greenear holea hole (as in a helmet) for sound to reach the earseyea small hole or loop (as in a needle)eyehole, eyeleta small hole (usually round and finished around the edges) in cloth or leather for the passage of a cord or hook or barfinger holea hole for inserting a fingerfinger holeone of a series of holes in a woodwind instrument; pitch changes when a finger covers itkeyholethe hole where a key is insertedloopholea small hole in a fortified wall; for observation or discharging weaponslubber's holehole in a platform on a mast through which a sailor can climb without going out on the shroudsmanholea hole (usually with a flush cover) through which a person can gain access to an underground structuremouth holea hole (as in a ski mask) for the mouthnail holea hole left after a nail is removedperforationa line of small holes for tearing at a particular placeplugholea hole into which a plug fits (especially a hole where water drains away)puncturea small hole made by a sharp objectsound holea hole in a soundboard (as of a violin) designed to resonate with the tonesthumbholethe hole in a woodwind that is closed and opened with the thumbjudasa one-way peephole in a doorpinholea small puncture that might have been made by a pinpinpricksmall puncture (as if made by a pin)smoke holea vent (as in a roof) for smoke to escapethumbholea finger hole made to fit the thumb (as in a bowling ball)type of:openinga vacant or unobstructed space that is man-made
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a depression hollowed out of solid mattersynonyms: hollowtypes:gopher holea hole in the ground made by gopherskettle, kettle hole(geology) a hollow (typically filled by a lake) that results from the melting of a mass of ice trapped in glacial depositswormholea tunnel made by a burrowing soft-bodied animal or insect larvatrou-de-loupa sloping pit with a stake in the middle used as an obstacle to the enemybarbecue pita pit where wood or charcoal is burned to make a bed of hot coals suitable for barbecuing meatborrow pita pit created to provide earth that can be used as fill at another sitedivot(golf) the cavity left when a piece of turf is cut from the ground by the club head in making a strokefire pita pit whose floor is incandescent lavaquicksanda pit filled with loose wet sand into which objects are sucked downsandpita large pit in sandy ground from which sand is dugsawpita pit over which lumber is positioned to be sawed by two men with a long two-handed sawtar pita natural accumulation of bitumens at the surface of the earth; often acts as a trap for animals whose bones are thus preservedtype of:
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an unoccupied space
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make holes in
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one playing period (from tee to green) on a golf course“he played 18 holes”synonyms: golf holetypes:doglega golf hole with a sharp angle in the fairwaytype of:period of play, play, playing period(in games or plays or other performances) the time during which play proceeds
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hit the ball into the hole
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a fault
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informal terms for a difficult situationtypes:type of:difficultya condition or state of affairs almost beyond one's ability to deal with and requiring great effort to bear or overcome
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informal terms for the mouthtype of:mouth, oral cavity, oral fissure, rima oristhe opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
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Vocabulary lists containing hole
List 3
Learn the correct meanings and usages of these commonly confused words for eighth-grade students.