I. ˈhōl noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hol (from neuter of hol, adjective, hollow) & holh; akin to Old High German hol, adjective, hollow and perhaps to Old English helan to conceal — more at hell
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. : an opening through something : perforation
have a hole in my coat
b. : an area where something is missing : gap : as
(1) : a serious discrepancy : flaw , weakness
some hole s in your logic
(2) : an opening in a defensive formation ; especially : the area of a baseball field between the positions of shortstop and third baseman
(3) : a defect in a crystal (as of a semiconductor) that is due to an electron's having left its normal position in one of the crystal bonds and that is equivalent in many respects to a positively charged particle
2. : a hollowed-out place: as
a. : a cave, pit, or well in the ground
b. : burrow
c. : an unusually deep place in a body of water (as a river)
3.
a. : a wretched or dreary place
b. : a prison cell especially for solitary confinement
4.
a. : a shallow cylindrical hole in the putting green of a golf course into which the ball is played
b. : a part of the golf course from tee to putting green
just beginning play on the third hole
also : the play on such a hole as a unit of scoring
won the hole by two strokes
5.
a. : an awkward position or circumstance : fix
got the rebels out of a hole at the battle — Kenneth Roberts
b. : a position of owing or losing money
$10 million in the hole
raising money to get out of the hole
•
- in the hole
II. verb
( holed ; hol·ing )
Date: before 12th century
transitive verb
1. : to make a hole in
2. : to drive or hit into a hole
hole a putt
intransitive verb
: to make a hole in something