spot check

noun

A cursory inspection or examination, especially of a sample of something.

“They spot check the rooms periodically for problems.”

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Meanings

nounspot check (plural spot checks)

plural spot checks · alternative spot-check

  1. idiomaticA cursory inspection or examination, especially of a sample of something.

    They do not measure each one, but they do a spot check on a few parts before shipping.

    1 more example

    Though the author consulted with two doctors (a spot check with another doctor reveals some medical information to be stale by at least five years), […]

    1979 April 28, Jim Davis, “Unhealthy Attitudes”, in Gay Community News, page 12
verbspot check (third-person singular simple present spot checks, present participle spot checking, simple past and past participle spot checked)

present singular third person spot checks · participle present spot checking · participle past spot checked · past spot checked · alternative spot-check

  1. idiomaticTo inspect or examine briefly, or by sampling.

    They spot check the rooms periodically for problems.

Translations

Bulgarian проверка на място
  • проверка на място (proverka na mjasto)a cursory inspection or examination or the inspection or examination of a sample of something
Finnish pistokoe
  • pistokoea cursory inspection or examination or the inspection or examination of a sample of something
German Stichprobenkontrolle, stichprobenartig kontrollieren
  • Stichprobenkontrollea cursory inspection or examination or the inspection or examination of a sample of something
  • stichprobenartig kontrollierento inspect or examine
Hungarian villámellenőrzés, szúrópróba
  • villámellenőrzésa cursory inspection or examination or the inspection or examination of a sample of something
  • szúrópróbaa cursory inspection or examination or the inspection or examination of a sample of something
  • szúrópróbaszerű ellenőrzésa cursory inspection or examination or the inspection or examination of a sample of something
Latvian izlases pārbaude
  • izlases pārbaudea cursory inspection or examination or the inspection or examination of a sample of something
Spanish revisión aleatoria, inspección sorpresa
  • revisión aleatoriaa cursory inspection or examination or the inspection or examination of a sample of something
  • inspección sorpresaa cursory inspection or examination or the inspection or examination of a sample of something
Cite this entry
APA

spot check. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spot%20check

MLA

“spot check.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spot%20check. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spot check,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spot%20check.

Source: spot check on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.