dugout
n.a shelter built into the ground for protection, or a low area where sports players sit during a game. You often see these in baseball or on a battlefield.
n.a shelter formed by excavating a hole in the ground or the side of a hill, typically for military protection; also refers to the sunken bench area for players in sports like baseball.
“The players sat in the dugout waiting for their turn to bat.”
“During the heavy rain, the soldiers retreated to the dugout to keep their equipment dry.”
“The manager paced the length of the dugout, nervously watching the pitcher as the bases were loaded in the final inning of the championship game.”
Commonly used in both military and sporting contexts to describe a recessed or underground shelter.
“Now the players can look to the dugout and see an authority figure.”
“In the away dugout is Nuno Espírito Santo, who couldn’t quite keep West Ham up last season.”
From the verb phrase dug out.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.