divot

noun

div·​ot ˈdi-vət 

plural divots

1

Scotland : a square of turf or sod

2

: a loose piece of turf (such as one dug from a golf fairway in making a shot)

The caddies, I was solemnly assured, never replace a divot; they just sprinkle grass seed from a pouch they carry. Well, this is a myth, for I repeatedly saw caddies replace divots in the course of the tournament, with the care of tile-setters.

—John Updike

3

: a small dent : a small depression or hollow

… soft pastries of yeasted dough with a divot in the center, traditionally filled with sweetened cheese or fruit …

—John T. Edge

Examples of divot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To make matters worse, the ball came to rest in a divot. —Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026

After that mission, NASA found chunks of the heat shield had broken off, leaving divots in the charred Avcoat material. —Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026

This in turn causes cracks that are exacerbated by cars and trucks and soon become deep divots. —Jim Gorzelany, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026

Then there’s the people watching, from the tailgating to the communal divot stomping, full of dramatic sun dresses and hats with flourishes, seersucker suits and, yes, hats with flourishes. —Eric Barton, Sun Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier Scots devat, from Middle English (Scots) duvat

First Known Use

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for divot

• civet
• pivot
• privet
• rivet