blot

plural blots

1. A blemish, spot or stain made by a coloured substance.

   […] He was blind; he could not see the stars Glinting among the wraiths of wandering cloud; Queer blots of colour, purple, scarlet, green, Flickered and faded in his drowning eyes.

   1918, Siegfried Sassoon, “The Death-Bed”, in The Old Huntsman and Other Poems, London: Heinemann, page 95

   4 more examples

   England bound in with the triumphant ſea, / Whoſe rocky ſhore beates backe the enuious ſiedge / Of watery Neptune, is now bound in with ſhame, / With Inky blottes, and rotten Parchment bonds.

   1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 28, column 2

   When I and some others subscribed our names / To a plot for expelling my master king James [James II of England]; / I withdrew my subscription by help of a blot, / And so might discover or gain by the plot: […]

   1711 [December?] (date written), Jonathan Swift, “An Excellent New Song. Being the Intended Speech of a Famous Orator against Peace [i.e., Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham].”, in Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols, editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, […], new edition, volume VII, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1801, →OCLC, page 72

   Her utmost powers of expression (which were certainly not great in ink) were exhausted in the attempt to write what she felt on the subject of my journey. Four sides of incoherent and interjectional beginnings of sentences, that had no end, except blots, were inadequate to afford her any relief. But the blots were more expressive to me than the best composition; for they showed me that Peggotty had been crying all over the paper, and what could I have desired more?

   1849 May – 1850 November, Charles Dickens, “Chapter XVII. Somebody Turns Up.”, in The Personal History of David Copperfield, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1850, →OCLC, page 176

   But, like more than one similar North Wales beauty-spot, there had to be (at least at the time of which I write), a quarry, or ironworks, or some kind of industrial plant, which lay perpetually under a cloud of yellowish smoke—literally a blot on the landscape.

   1955 January, R. S. McNaught, “From the Severn to the Mersey by Great Western”, in Railway Magazine, pages 18-19

2. broadlyA stain on someone's reputation or character; a disgrace.

   He that reproueth a ſcorner, getteth to himſelfe ſhame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man, getteth himſelfe a blot.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 9:7, column 2

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   Thy ouerflow of good, conuerts to bad, / And thy abundant goodneſſe ſhall excuſe / This deadly blot, in thy digreſſing ſonne.

   1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii], page 43, column 1

   Thus man devotes his brother, and deſtroys; / And worſe than all, and moſt to be deplored / As human nature’s broadeſt, fouleſt blot, / Chains him, and taſks him, and exacts his ſweat / With ſtripes, that mercy with a bleeding heart / Weeps when ſhe ſees inflicted on a beaſt.

   1785, William Cowper, “Book II. The Time-piece.”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], →OCLC, page 46

   The only blot on this service is that of its Kentish Town connections, which throughout the day in many cases just miss the St. Pancras-Luton stopping trains.

   1960 February, “The dieselised St. Pancras suburban service”, in Trains Illustrated, page 95

3. biochemistryA method of transferring proteins, DNA or RNA, onto a carrier.
4. backgammonAn exposed piece in backgammon.

present singular third person blots · participle present blotting · participle past blotted · past blotted

1. transitiveTo cause a blot (on something) by spilling a coloured substance.
2. intransitiveTo soak up or absorb liquid.

   This paper blots easily.

3. transitiveTo dry (writing, etc.) with blotting paper.
4. transitiveTo spot, stain, or bespatter, as with ink.

   The briefe was writte and blotted all with gore,[…]

   1566, George Gascoigne, Dan Bartholmew of Bath

   Synonyms: asperse, splatter, sprinkle

5. transitiveTo impair; to damage; to mar; to soil.

   It blots thy beautie, as froſts doe bite the Meads,[…]

   c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii], page 229, column 1

   Synonyms: dirty, pollute, ruin, ball up, blight, bumble, botch, bugger up

6. transitiveTo stain with infamy; to disgrace.

   Blot not thy Innocence with guiltleſs Blood.

   1707, Nicholas Rowe, The Royal Convert

   Synonyms: blemish, infamize, stain, assassinate, asperse, backbite, badmouth, befoul

7. transitiveTo obliterate, as writing with ink; to cancel; to efface; generally with out.

   to blot out a word or a sentence

   1 more example

   One act like this blots out a thouſand Crimes.

   1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. […], London: […] Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act V, page 82

   Synonyms: erase, race

8. transitiveTo obscure; to eclipse; to shadow.

   He ſung how Earth blots the Moons gilded Wane,[…]

   1656, Abraham Cowley, Davideis

   Synonyms: becloud, bedarken, beshadow

9. Multicultural London EnglishtransitiveTo sell illegal drugs, to deal, to push.

   Porchy: Blottin' dope on the block, going on these shows.

   2014 August 18, “Earth Burns”performed by Porchy,Oxxxymiron

   2 more examples

   I'm walking down the street, past the coppers on the beat. Past the shotters blottin' weed, clear for everyone to see.

   2006 June 26, “Where Ya From?” (track 10), in Who Needs Actions When You Got Words, performed by Plan B (musician)

   What kind of things that you have. When I find out don't expect me to stop. I'll come for the P's that you stack. And come for the food that you blot.

   2009 March 17, “Next Hype” (track 3), in All-Star Pars, performed by Tempa T

10. transitivebackgammonTo hit a blot.