foxhole
A small hole soldiers dig to hide and stay safe.
A foxhole is a small pit or hole dug into the ground that soldiers use for protection during combat. When bullets are flying and explosions are happening nearby, a soldier can jump into a foxhole and crouch below ground level, using the earth itself as a shield. The hole only needs to be deep enough to hide in, usually about waist-deep or chest-deep, and soldiers dig them quickly with shovels or entrenching tools when they need cover fast.
The name comes from how foxes dig dens in the ground to hide and stay safe. Just like a fox's burrow protects it from danger, a foxhole protects soldiers from enemy fire. During World War II, soldiers on both sides dug thousands of foxholes as they moved across battlefields.
Foxholes are also used as a symbol of moments of intense danger, when soldiers have only the dirt walls around them for protection.