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hole in one

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hole in one

 

1. Lit. an instance of hitting a golf ball from the tee to the hole in only one try. (From the game of golf.) John made a hole in one yesterday. I've never gotten a hole in one.

2. Fig. an instance of succeeding the first time. It worked the first time I tried it—a hole in one. Bob got a hole in one on that sale. A lady walked in the door, and he sold her a car in five minutes.

See also: hole, one

hole in one

A perfect achievement, as in Tim scored a hole in one on that test. The term alludes to a perfect stroke in golf, where one drives the ball from the tee into the hole with a single stroke. [c. 1900]

See also: hole, one