an opening through something; gap; aperture: a hole in the roof; a hole in my sock.
2.
a hollow place in a solid body or mass; a cavity: a hole in the ground.
3.
the excavated habitation of an animal; burrow.
4.
a small, dingy, or shabby place: I couldn't live in a hole like that.
5.
a place of solitary confinement; dungeon.
6.
an embarrassing position or predicament: to find oneself in a hole.
7.
a cove or small harbor.
8.
a fault or flaw: They found serious holes in his reasoning.
9.
a deep, still place in a stream: a swimming hole.
10.
Sports.
a.
a small cavity, into which a marble, ball, or the like is to be played.
b.
a score made by so playing.
11.
Golf.
a.
the circular opening in a green into which the ball is to be played.
b.
a part of a golf course from a tee to the hole corresponding to it, including fairway, rough, and hazards.
c.
the number of strokes taken to hit the ball from a tee into the hole corresponding to it.
12.
Informal. opening; slot: The radio program was scheduled for the p.m. hole. We need an experienced person to fill a hole in our accounting department.
13.
Metalworking. (in wire drawing) one reduction of a section.
14.
Electronics. a mobile vacancy in the electronic structure of a semiconductor that acts as a positive charge carrier and has equivalent mass.
15.
Aeronautics. an air pocket that causes a plane or other aircraft to drop suddenly.
–verb (used with object)
16.
to make a hole or holes in.
17.
to put or drive into a hole.
18.
Golf. to hit the ball into (a hole).
19.
to bore (a tunnel, passage, etc.).
–verb (used without object)
20.
to make a hole or holes.
—Verb phrases
21.
hole out, Golf. to strike the ball into a hole: He holed out in five, one over par.
22.
hole up,
a.
to go into a hole; retire for the winter, as a hibernating animal.
b.
to hide, as from pursuers, the police, etc.: The police think the bank robbers are holed up in Chicago.
—Idioms
23.
burn a hole in one's pocket, to urge one to spend money quickly: His inheritance was burning a hole in his pocket.
24.
hole in the wall, a small or confining place, esp. one that is dingy, shabby, or out-of-the-way: Their first shop was a real hole in the wall.
25.
in a or the hole,
a.
in debt; in straitened circumstances: After Christmas I am always in the hole for at least a month.
b.
Baseball,Softball. pitching or batting with the count of balls or balls and strikes to one's disadvantage, esp. batting with a count of two strikes and one ball or none.
c.
Stud Poker. being the card or one of the cards dealt face down in the first round: a king in the hole.
26.
make a hole in, to take a large part of: A large bill from the dentist made a hole in her savings.
27.
pick a hole or holes in, to find a fault or flaw in: As soon as I presented my argument, he began to pick holes in it.
Origin: bef. 900; ME; OE hol hole, cave, orig. neut. of hol (adj.) hollow; c. G hohl hollow
Related forms:
holeless, adjective
holey, adjective
Synonyms: 1, 2.pit, hollow, concavity. Hole,cavity,excavation refer to a hollow place in anything. Hole is the common word for this idea: a hole in turf. Cavity is a more formal or scientific term for a hollow within the body or in a substance, whether with or without a passage outward: a cavity in a tooth; the cranial cavity. An excavation is an extended hole made by digging out or removing material: an excavation before the construction of a building. 3.den, cave; lair, retreat. 4.hovel, shack.
To select from a group: The best swimmer was picked.
To select or cull.
To gather in; harvest: They were picking cotton.
To gather the harvest from: picked the field in one day.
To remove the outer covering of; pluck: pick a chicken clean of feathers.
To tear off bit by bit: pick meat from the bones.
To pluck (an instrument's strings).
To play (an instrument) by plucking its strings.
To play (a tune) in this manner: picked a melody out on the guitar.
To gather in; harvest: They were picking cotton.
To gather the harvest from: picked the field in one day.
To remove the outer covering of; pluck: pick a chicken clean of feathers.
To tear off bit by bit: pick meat from the bones.
To pluck (an instrument's strings).
To play (an instrument) by plucking its strings.
To play (a tune) in this manner: picked a melody out on the guitar.
To remove the outer covering of; pluck: pick a chicken clean of feathers.
To tear off bit by bit: pick meat from the bones.
To pluck (an instrument's strings).
To play (an instrument) by plucking its strings.
To play (a tune) in this manner: picked a melody out on the guitar.
To remove extraneous matter from (the teeth).
To poke and pull at (something) with the fingers.
To break up, separate, or detach by means of a sharp pointed instrument.
To pierce or make (a hole) with a sharp pointed instrument.
To take up (food) with the beak; peck: The parrot picked its seed.
To steal the contents of: My pocket was picked.
To open (a lock) without the use of a key.
To provoke: pick a fight.
Music
To pluck (an instrument's strings).
To play (an instrument) by plucking its strings.
To play (a tune) in this manner: picked a melody out on the guitar.
v.
intr.
To decide with care or forethought.
To work with a pick.
To find fault or make petty criticisms; carp: He's always picking about something.
To be harvested or gathered: The ripe apples picked easily.
n.
The act of picking, especially with a sharp pointed instrument.
The act of selecting or choosing; choice: got first pick of the desserts.
Something selected as the most desirable; the best or choicest part: the pick of the crop.
The amount or quantity of a crop that is picked by hand.
Basketball A screen.
To pluck or pull at, especially with the fingers.
To eat sparingly or without appetite: The child just picked at the food.
Informal To nag: Don't pick at me.
To shoot after singling out: The hunter picked the ducks off one by one.
Baseball To catch (a base runner) off base and put out with a quick throw, as from the pitcher or catcher, often to a specified base.
Sports To intercept, as a football pass.
To choose or select: picked out a nice watch.
To discern from the surroundings; distinguish: picked out their cousins from the crowd.
To take up (something) by hand: pick up a book.
To collect or gather: picked up some pebbles.
To tidy up: picked up the bedroom.
To acquire casually or by accident: picked up a new coat on sale.
To acquire (knowledge) by learning or experience: picked up French quickly.
To claim: picked up her car at the repair shop.
To buy: picked up some milk at the store.
To accept (a bill or charge) in order to pay it: Let me pick up the tab.
To come down with (a disease): picked up a virus at school.
To gain: picked up five yards on that play.
To come upon and follow: The dog picked up the scent.
To come upon and observe: picked up two submarines on sonar.
To take on (passengers or freight, for example): The bus picks up commuters at five stops.
Informal
To acquire casually or by accident: picked up a new coat on sale.
To acquire (knowledge) by learning or experience: picked up French quickly.
To claim: picked up her car at the repair shop.
To buy: picked up some milk at the store.
To accept (a bill or charge) in order to pay it: Let me pick up the tab.
To come down with (a disease): picked up a virus at school.
To gain: picked up five yards on that play.
To come upon and follow: The dog picked up the scent.
To come upon and observe: picked up two submarines on sonar.
Informal To take into custody: The agents picked up six smugglers.
Slang To make casual acquaintance with, usually in anticipation of sexual relations.
To come upon and follow: The dog picked up the scent.
To come upon and observe: picked up two submarines on sonar.
To continue after a break: Let's pick up the discussion after lunch.
Informal To improve in condition or activity: Sales picked up last fall.
Slang To prepare a sudden departure: She just picked up and left.
Phrasal Verb(s): pick apartTo refute or find flaws in by close examination: The lawyer picked the testimony apart. pick at
To pluck or pull at, especially with the fingers.
To eat sparingly or without appetite: The child just picked at the food.
Informal To nag: Don't pick at me.
pick off
To shoot after singling out: The hunter picked the ducks off one by one.
Baseball To catch (a base runner) off base and put out with a quick throw, as from the pitcher or catcher, often to a specified base.
Sports To intercept, as a football pass.
pick onTo tease or bully. pick out
To choose or select: picked out a nice watch.
To discern from the surroundings; distinguish: picked out their cousins from the crowd.
pick overTo sort out or examine item by item: picked over the grapes before buying them. pick up
To take up (something) by hand: pick up a book.
To collect or gather: picked up some pebbles.
To tidy up: picked up the bedroom.
To acquire casually or by accident: picked up a new coat on sale.
To acquire (knowledge) by learning or experience: picked up French quickly.
To claim: picked up her car at the repair shop.
To buy: picked up some milk at the store.
To accept (a bill or charge) in order to pay it: Let me pick up the tab.
To come down with (a disease): picked up a virus at school.
To gain: picked up five yards on that play.
To come upon and follow: The dog picked up the scent.
To come upon and observe: picked up two submarines on sonar.
To take on (passengers or freight, for example): The bus picks up commuters at five stops.
Informal
To acquire casually or by accident: picked up a new coat on sale.
To acquire (knowledge) by learning or experience: picked up French quickly.
To claim: picked up her car at the repair shop.
To buy: picked up some milk at the store.
To accept (a bill or charge) in order to pay it: Let me pick up the tab.
To come down with (a disease): picked up a virus at school.
To gain: picked up five yards on that play.
To come upon and follow: The dog picked up the scent.
To come upon and observe: picked up two submarines on sonar.
Informal To take into custody: The agents picked up six smugglers.
Slang To make casual acquaintance with, usually in anticipation of sexual relations.
To come upon and follow: The dog picked up the scent.
To come upon and observe: picked up two submarines on sonar.
To continue after a break: Let's pick up the discussion after lunch.
Informal To improve in condition or activity: Sales picked up last fall.
Slang To prepare a sudden departure: She just picked up and left.
Idiom(s):
pick and chooseTo select with great care.
Idiom(s):
pick holes inTo seek and discover flaws or a flaw in: picked holes in the argument.
Idiom(s):
pick (one's) wayTo find passage and make careful progress through it: picked her way down the slope.
Idiom(s):
pick (someone) to piecesTo criticize sharply.
Idiom(s):
pick up on Informal
To take into the mind and understand, typically with speed: is quick to pick up on new computer skills.
To notice: picked up on my roommate's bad mood and left him alone.
[Middle English piken, to prick, from Old English *pīcian, to prick, and from Old French piquer, to pierce (from Vulgar Latin *piccāre; see pique).] pick'er n.
hole (hōl) Pronunciation Key
A gap, usually the valence band of an insulator or semiconductor, that would normally be filled with one electron. If an electron accelerated by a voltage moves into a gap, it leaves a gap behind it, and in this way the hole itself appears to move through the substance. Even though holes are in fact the absence of a negatively charged particle (an electron), they can be treated theoretically as positively charged particles, whose motion gives rise to electric current.
[hohl] 
noun, verb, holed, hol⋅ing.