spot

plural spots

1. A round or irregular patch on the surface of a thing having a different color, texture etc. and generally round in shape.

   Why do ladybugs have spots?

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   The leopard is noted for the spots of color in its fur.

2. A stain or disfiguring mark.

   I have tried everything, and I can’t get this spot out.

3. A pimple, papule or pustule.

   I think she's got chicken pox; she's covered in spots.

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   That morning, I saw that a spot had come up on my chin.

4. A symbol on a playing card, domino, die, etc. indicating its value; a pip.
5. A small, unspecified amount or quantity.

   Do come 'round on Sunday for a spot of tea, won't you?

   Synonyms: ace, atom, thought, atomy, aught, bissel, continental, bit

6. USslangA bill of five-dollar or ten-dollar denomination in dollars.

   Here's the twenty bucks I owe you, a ten spot and two five spots.

7. A location or area.

   I like to eat lunch in a pleasant spot outside.

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   For our anniversary we went back to the same spot where we first met.

   That spot to which I point is Paradise.

   1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC

   "A jolly place," said he, "in times of old! / But something ails it now: the spot is curs'd."

   1800, William Wordsworth, Hart-leap Well

   Yachvilli made it 6-0 with a second sweet strike from 45 metres after Matt Stevens was penalised for collapsing a scrum, and then slid another penalty just wide from the same spot.

   2011, Tom Fordyce, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France

8. A parking space.

   Del Valle has the blessing of a garage, so he doesn't have to claim “dibs” on shoveled street spots himself, he said.

   2011 March 23, “We asked mayoral candidates: Do you support 'dibs' on parking spots?”, in Chicago Sun-Times

9. hobbiesAn official determination of placement.

   The fans were very unhappy with the referee's spot of the ball.

10. A bright lamp; a spotlight.
11. USadvertisingA brief advertisement or program segment on television.

    Did you see the spot on the news about the shoelace factory?

12. A difficult situation.

    She was in a real spot when she ran into her separated husband while on a date.

    Synonyms: predicament, ass in a sling, bind, bucket of syrup, calvary, cauldron, cross, cross to bear

13. danceOne who spots (supports or assists a maneuver, or is prepared to assist if safety dictates); a spotter.
14. ball gamesPenalty spot.

    The Gunners dominated for long periods but, against the run of play, Denilson fouled Max Gradel and Robert Snodgrass put Leeds ahead from the spot.

    2011 January 8, Chris Bevan, “Arsenal 1 - 1 Leeds”, in BBC

15. The act of spotting or noticing something.

    You've misspelled "terrapin" here. —Whoops. Good spot.

16. A variety of the common domestic pigeon, so called from a spot on its head just above the beak.
17. A food fish (Leiostomus xanthurus) of the Atlantic coast of the United States, with a black spot behind the shoulders and fifteen oblique dark bars on the sides.
18. The southern redfish, or red horse (Sciaenops ocellatus), which has a spot on each side at the base of the tail.
19. datedin pluralbrokers' slangCommodities, such as merchandise and cotton, sold for immediate delivery.
20. natural sciencesAn autosoliton.
21. businessA decimal point; point.

    Twelve spot two five pounds sterling.

    £12.25

22. Any of various points marked on the table, from which balls are played, in snooker, pool, billiards, etc.
23. Any of the balls marked with spots in the game of pool, which one player aims to pot, the other player taking the stripes.
24. AustraliaNew ZealandAn alcoholic drink.

    ‘It's a time since I saw you, Chris. What about a spot?’

    1942, Leonard Mann, The Go-Getter, page 188

    1 more example

    To be lured into his shop for a convivial spot was disastrous.

    1963, Ronald Hugh Morrieson, The Scarecrow, Text Classics, published 2012, page 41

present singular third person spots · participle present spotting · participle past spotted · past spotted

1. transitiveTo see, find; to pick out, notice, locate, distinguish or identify.

   Try to spot the differences between these two pictures.

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   The campaign aimed to give commuters the confidence to trust their own instincts and intervene if they spot someone vulnerable who may be at risk of suicide, and to talk to them to interrupt their suicidal thoughts.

   2020 July 1, Ruth Sutherland, Neil Peters, “Answering the call”, in Rail, page 47

   Taiwan’s gold discovery can be traced back to 1890 during construction of the railroad between Keelung and Taipei. Workers on the project spotted gold sediments on the banks of the Keelung River between Chitu and Patu.

   2022 January 18, HARDCORE MINER, “Gold in Taiwan – A Surprisingly Rich Mining History”, in How to Find Gold Nuggets, archived from the original on 06 Apr 2023, Early Mining History, Where to Find Gold

   A Uganda Wildlife Authority worker said he spotted Sophia near the camp latrine at around 6.30 pm as it began to get dark.

   2026 August 13, Nicholas Muhoro, “Dutch Medical Student Sophia Koetsier Vanished in Uganda in 2015. An Unknown Man’s DNA Was Later Found on Her Clothing”, in Skip Boring, archived from the original on 14 Aug 2026

   Synonyms: catch sight of, descry, make out

2. USditransitiveslangTo loan a small amount of money to someone.

   I’ll spot you ten dollars for lunch.

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   “It’s close to payday, but you’re welcome to what I have. Maybe Wickliffe can spot me a few.”

   2018, Tayari Jones, An American Marriage, Oneworld Publications, page 185

3. ambitransitiveTo stain; to leave a spot (on).

   a garment spotted with mould

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   Hard water will spot if it is left on a surface.

   Synonyms: begrime, blot, soil, assoil, beclart, bedaub, bedirty, imbrue (especially with blood)

4. transitiveTo cover with spots, to speckle.

   No palm-tree rose to spot the wilderness; […]

   1853, Robert Southey, The Poetical Works of Robert Southey, page 6

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   […] many ships spotting the dark blue deep / With snowy sails, fled fast as ours came nigh, […]

   1855, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Works, page 83

   […] Amid lanes and through old woods, where lately the violets peep’d from the ground, spotting the gray debris, […]

   1865, Walt Whitman, “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d”, in Sequel to Drum-Taps: When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d and other poems

   Synonyms: asperse, bespeckle, fleck

5. To experience vaginal spotting; to expel blood from the vagina.

   "If you've got regular periods with an IUD that's fine, but if you're starting to spot or get quite a regular loss, then it should be carefully investigated." (Last)

   1988, Anne Dickson, Nikki Henriques, Women on Menopause: A Practical Guide to a Positive Transition, Inner Traditions / Bear & Co, →ISBN, page 39

6. dialectalTo rain slightly, in scattered, infrequent drops, for example when first beginning to rain.

   And it is beginning to spot with rain. I must start work on a shelter.

   2019 April 1, Louise Allen, Least Likely to Marry a Duke: A Regency Historical Romance, Harlequin, →ISBN

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   […] thunder growled as if to confirm his prediction. Rain was beginning to spot as he kissed me in parting. I had to hurry back to the Assembly Rooms to avoid a soaking.

   2010 May 3, Celia Rees, Pirates!, A&C Black, →ISBN, page 57

7. transitiveTo remove, or attempt to remove, a stain.

   I spotted the carpet where the child dropped spaghetti.

8. transitiveTo retouch a photograph on film to remove minor flaws.
9. transitiveclimbingTo support or assist a maneuver, or to be prepared to assist if safety dictates.

   I can’t do a back handspring unless somebody spots me.

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   There had not been time to build handrails, so lines of women spotted the sides of the ramp.

   1989 April 15, Angela Bowen, “Towards a National Lesbian Conference”, in Gay Community News, page 2

10. transitivedanceTo keep the head and eyes pointing in a single direction while turning.

    Most figure skaters do not spot their turns like dancers do.

11. transitiveTo stain; to blemish; to taint; to disgrace; to tarnish, as reputation.

    If ever I shall close these eyes but once, / May I live spotted for my perjury.

    c. 1608–1610, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “Philaster: Or, Love Lies a Bleeding”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1679, →OCLC, Act V, scene ii

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    Link not me in self same chain / With the wicked-working folk, / Who their spotted thoughts do cloak.

    The New Arcadia

    a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC

    Synonyms: besmirch, blot, denigrate, assassinate, asperse, backbite, badmouth, befoul

12. transitiveTo cut or chip (timber) in preparation for hewing.
13. transitiveball gamesTo place (an object) at a location indicated by a spot.

    The referee had to spot the pink on the blue spot.

14. intransitiveball gamesOf a ball, to be capable of being placed on its own spot.

    The black ball won't spot – the green is in the way.

15. transitiveaeronauticsTo position (an aircraft) on the deck of an aircraft carrier ready for launch by catapult.

    The aircraft is spotted on the catapult, and the console operator turns the crank to FIRST READY, causing the exhaust valve to close.

    1959, Aviation Boatswain's Mate 3 & 2: Navy Training Courses, United States. Bureau of Naval Personnel, page 315

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    This spotting order varies from carrier to carrier to suit the flight-deck layout. Certain aircraft must be spotted in a specific location to permit servicing, loading of ammunition, starting, maintenance, and so forth.

    1990, Mike Harvell, Airman, pages 9–37

16. transitiverail transportTo position (a locomotive or car) at a predetermined point, e.g., for loading or unloading.

1. not comparablebusinessAvailable on the spot; for immediate payment or delivery.

   spot cash

   2 more examples

   spot wheat

   a spot contract

2. informalnot comparableExact; precise.

   The other bus meets yours at the intersection within one minute; it's a spot connection, and you might not make it.

1. A popular given name for a dog