an opening into or through something
"The strong wind blew a large hole straight through the side of the tent, letting in rain and cold air."
an opening deliberately made in or through something
"The carpenter carefully drilled a clean hole in the wooden board to fit the new hinge perfectly."
an unoccupied space
"There is still a hole left on the bottom row of our chessboard for you to take your king."
A hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit; an opening in or through a solid body, a fabric, etc.; a perforation; a rent; a fissure.
"She accidentally stepped into the deep hole left by the construction crew and twisted her ankle."
In plain English: A hole is an empty space where something has been removed or broken through, leaving a gap.
"He dropped his keys down the hole in the fence."
Usage: Use the word hole to describe any physical empty space within or through a solid object, such as a gap in a wall or a depression in the ground. Avoid using it metaphorically for abstract concepts unless you are specifically referring to a damaging situation like "a hole in one's finances."
make holes in
"The carpenter used a drill to make holes in the wooden board for the new screws."
To make holes in (an object or surface).
"The children spent their afternoon digging a hole in the garden to bury an old toy."
In plain English: To hole means to hide yourself somewhere safe, usually by going into a small space or behind something.
"The sun began to hole through the heavy clouds, letting bright light spill onto the grass."
Usage: Use "hole" as a verb when you physically pierce an object to create an opening, such as when someone hammers a nail into wood. This action turns the noun "hole" into a direct transitive verb describing the act of making that opening.
Obsolete form of whole.
"The old scribe had written 'the hole truth' instead of 'the whole truth.'"
"That hole in my sock needs to be patched before I go out."
Usage: The adjective form of "hole" is an obsolete archaic variant of "whole," so it should not be used in modern writing or speech. Instead, use the standard word "whole" to describe something that is complete or entire.
The word "hole" comes from Old English hol, meaning a hollow place or cavity. Its ultimate origin remains uncertain, though it is related to the word "hollow."