fail and divot

A form of feal and divot — A predial servitude (a legal interest by a non-owner connected with a piece of land) that grants the dominant tenant the right to cut out portions of turf for the construction or repair of sod structures such as houses, fences, or roofs.

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Meanings

nounfail and divot (uncountable)
  1. alternativeuncountableAlternative form of feal and divot.

    Turf 'Fail and divot' masked the wooden components of the shieling buildings.

    1990, Albert Bil, The Shieling, 1600-1840, page 244
    2 more examples

    Until within these last twenty years, the tenants on other two estates were entitled to carry fail and divot from this moor, for repairing their houses.

    1808, The Repertory of Arts, Manufactures, and Agriculture

    At Tarves in 1684 the tradesmen valuators referred to mason work, dry-stone work, mud work, cassie work (cobbling), fail and divot work.

    1970, Ulster Folklife - Volumes 15-16, page 28
Cite this entry
APA

fail and divot. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fail%20and%20divot

MLA

“fail and divot.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fail%20and%20divot. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fail and divot,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fail%20and%20divot.

Source: fail and divot on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.