■ noun
1》 an empty space in a solid body or surface.
↘an aperture.
↘a cavity on a golf course into which the ball must be hit.
2》 informal a small or unpleasant place.
↘an awkward situation.
3》 a flaw in a plan or argument.
4》 Physics a position from which an electron is absent, regarded as a mobile carrier of positive charge in a semiconductor.
■ verb
1》 make a ~ or ~s in.
2》 Golf hit (the ball) into a ~.
3》 ( ~ out ) Cricket (of a batsman) hit the ball to a fielder and be caught.
4》 ( ~ up ) informal hide oneself.
Phrases
blow a ~ in ruin the effectiveness of.
in the ~ N. Amer. informal in debt.
in ~s worn so much that ~s have formed.
make a ~ in use a large amount of.
Derivatives
~y adjective
Origin
OE hol (n.), holian (v.), of Gmc origin.