Meaning & use
divots
Last updated
“divots” is a form of “divot”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nouncountable
Small chunks of grass, roots, and soil cut or torn out of the ground.
Grammar: Often used in the plural: after the game, players replace their divots.
Patterns
- tear up divots
- replace divots
- divots from something
The mower left several divots along the edge of the lawn.
A horse’s hoof kicked up divots as it turned sharply on the wet field.
After practice, the golfers walked back to repair the divots they had made.
nouncountablesport
In golf, the piece of turf cut from the course when the club strikes the ground near the ball.
Grammar: Can be singular for one cut piece, but course care notices usually say divots.
Patterns
- take a divot
- replace a divot
- a divot on the fairway
She took a divot with her iron, then put it back before putting.
The ball sat just behind the divot left by the previous player.
Please fill each divot with the seed mix provided by the club.
Word forms
| singular | divot |
|---|
Common combinations
- replace divots
- Players should replace divots on the fairway whenever possible.
- take a divot
- If you take a divot, the club struck the ground before the ball.
- repair a divot
- He used the repair tool to press the grass back into the divot.
- kicked up divots
- The horse kicked up divots from the soft track.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sod
- A piece of turf or grass surface, but not specifically one cut out or torn up.
- turf
- The grass-and-soil surface itself; a divot is a piece removed from that surface.
- clod
- A lump of earth, with no necessary grass or turf, so it fits soil but not a golf fairway.
- plug
- A small core or piece removed neatly, closer in shape than in everyday golf use.
Commonly confused: divots or divet?
divots vs divet
A common misspelling; the standard spelling is divot, with -ot-, and the plural is divots.
Practice
After the approach shot, Maya carefully pressed the ___ back into the fairway.
Choose one answer.
The sentence needs the standard plural of divot: divots, ending in -ots. Divets is a frequent misspelling that wrongly changes the vowel; the other forms are not standard spellings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “divots”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.