- hole
- [[t]ho͟ʊl[/t]]
♦♦holes, holing, holed1) N-COUNT A hole is a hollow space in something solid, with an opening on one side.
He took a shovel, dug a hole, and buried his once-prized possessions...
The builders had cut holes into the soft stone to support the ends of the beams.
...a 60ft hole.
2) N-COUNT: oft N in n A hole is an opening in something that goes right through it.These tiresome creatures eat holes in the leaves...
Armed robbers broke into the jeweller's through a hole in the wall.
...kids with holes in the knees of their jeans.
3) N-COUNT A hole is the home or hiding place of a mouse, rabbit, or other small animal....a rabbit hole.
There were some holes in that theory, some unanswered questions.
Syn:5) N-COUNT: usu adj N (disapproval) If you refer to a place as a hole, you are emphasizing that you think it is very unpleasant. [INFORMAL]Why don't you leave this awful hole and come to live with me?
Syn:6) N-COUNT A hole is also one of the nine or eighteen sections of a golf course.I played nine holes with Gary Player today.
7) N-COUNT A hole is one of the places on a golf course that the ball must drop into, usually marked by a flag.8) VERB If you hole in a game of golf, you hit the ball so that it goes into the hole.He holed from nine feet at the 18th...
[V n] Frost holed a bunker shot from 50 feet to snatch the title by one stroke.
9) VERB: usu passive If something such as a building or ship is holed, holes are made in it by guns or other weapons. [mainly BRIT][be V-ed] Blocks of flats have been holed and some shells have fallen within the historic ramparts.
10) PHRASE: V inflects (emphasis) If you say that you need something or someone like a hole in the head, you are emphasizing that you do not want them and that they would only add to the problems that you already have. [INFORMAL]We need more folk heroes like we need a hole in the head.
11) PHRASE: v-link PHR If you say that you are in a hole, you mean that you are in a difficult or embarrassing situation. [INFORMAL]He admitted that the government was in `a dreadful hole'.
12) PHRASE: usu v PHR If you get a hole in one in golf, you get the golf ball into the hole with a single stroke.All they ever dream about is getting a hole in one.
13) PHRASE: V inflects If you pick holes in an argument or theory, you find weak points in it so that it is no longer valid. [INFORMAL]He then goes on to pick holes in the article before reaching his conclusion.
Phrasal Verbs:- hole up
English dictionary. 2008.
