foxhole

/ˈfɒkshəʊl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfɑːkshəʊl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfäks-ˌhōl/ (ame, mw)

foxhole — noun

  • foxholesingular
  • foxholesplural

1. a tunnel or space a fox digs into the ground or a hillside, used for sleeping, h

1.名詞A2
釋義

a tunnel or space a fox digs into the ground or a hillside, used for sleeping, hiding from danger, and raising its babies

例句

Mei found a foxhole behind the stone wall at the edge of the forest.

Omar watched a vixen come out of her foxhole to look for food.

collocation: come out of a foxhole

同義詞
  • den

    broader term for any wild animal's shelter; can refer to a fox's home but also to bears, wolves, or other animals

  • lair

    more literary or poetic; suggests a wild animal's resting or hiding place

  • earth

    specific hunting term for a fox's underground den, used mainly by hunters

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 2 (MILITARY SHELTER): this sense refers only to the animal's den and appears in nature-related contexts, never in military descriptions.

常見錯誤

❌The soldiers took cover in a foxhole full of fox cubs.
✅The soldiers took cover in a foxhole at the front line.
💡A military foxhole is not a fox's home. The two meanings share the same word but refer to completely different things.

2. a small pit dug into the earth by soldiers in a war zone, providing cover for on

2.名詞B2
釋義

a small pit dug into the earth by soldiers in a war zone, providing cover for one or two people from enemy gunfire and explosions, while allowing them to shoot back from a hidden position

例句

Kim spent the night in a shallow foxhole, listening to distant explosions.

adjective before foxhole: shallow foxhole

During basic training, the recruits learned how to dig a foxhole in under thirty minutes.

collocation: dig a foxhole

同義詞
  • trench

    a much longer ditch for many soldiers, not an individual hole; soldiers stand and move along a trench

  • bunker

    a permanent fortified shelter built with concrete or sandbags, designed to survive direct hits

  • dugout

    a roofed shelter dug into a hillside or beneath a trench, providing overhead cover from artillery

用法筆記

The phrase 'dig a foxhole' is the most common verb–noun pairing for this sense. 'Foxhole prayer' refers to a desperate prayer said under fire, and 'foxhole buddy' is slang for the person who shares your foxhole in combat.

常見錯誤

❌The fox hid in its foxhole during the thunderstorm.
✅The fox hid in its den during the thunderstorm.
💡Do not use the military sense of 'foxhole' for the animal. For the animal's home, use 'den' or 'fox den'.