hole

I UK [həʊl] / US [hoʊl] noun [countable]
Word forms "hole":
singular hole plural holes
***

1) a space dug in the surface of the ground

Workers dug a 30-foot hole in the ground.

rabbit/mouse hole:

a grassy bank containing several rabbit holes

2) in golf, a small space in the ground for hitting the ball into. The 9 or 18 sections of a golf course are also called holes.

3) a space in the surface of something that goes partly or completely through it

hole in:

All my socks have holes in them.

a gaping hole (= a very large hole):

Rain poured through a gaping hole in the roof.

riddled with holes (= completely covered with holes):

The tank was riddled with bullet holes.

4) a part of something such as an idea or explanation where an important detail is missing

His argument was full of holes.

hole in:

There is an obvious hole in the law covering pension funds.

5) informal an unpleasant or dirty place

This town is a hole.

•

- in a hole

- in the hole

- make a hole in something

See:

blow I, pick I

II UK [həʊl] / US [hoʊl] verb
Word forms "hole":
present tense I/you/we/they hole he/she/it holes present participle holing past tense holed past participle holed

1) [transitive, usually passive] if something is holed, something has made a hole or holes in it

The ship was holed below the waterline.

2) hole or hole out

[intransitive/transitive] in golf, to hit the ball into the hole Phrasal verbs:

- hole up