dimple

Etymology

From Middle English dympull, likely from Proto-Germanic *dumpila- (“sink-hole, dimple”), from Proto-Germanic *dumpa- (“hole, hollow, pit”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewb- (“deep, hollow”), equivalent to dialectal dump (“deep hole or pool”) + -le (diminutive suffix). Akin to Old High German tumphilo (“pool”) (whence German Tümpel) and Old English dyppan (“to dip”).

noun

1. A small depression or indentation in a surface.
   The accident created a dimple in the hood of the car.
   The garden pool's dark surface […] breaks into dimples small and bright. 1815, William Wordsworth, The White Doe of Rylstone; or, The Fate of the Nortons
2. Specifically, a small natural depression on the skin, especially on the face near the corners of the mouth.
   You have very cute dimples.

verb

1. (transitive) To create a dimple in.
   The hailstorm dimpled the roof of our car.
2. (intransitive) To create a dimple in one's face by smiling.
   The young girl dimpled in glee as she was handed a cupcake.
3. To form dimples; to sink into depressions or little inequalities.