/ spɒt; NAmE spɑːt/ noun , verb , adjective
■ noun
SMALL MARK
1.
a small round area that has a different colour or feels different from the surface it is on :
Which has spots, the leopard or the tiger?
The male bird has a red spot on its beak.
( BrE )
She was wearing a black skirt with white spots.
—see also beauty spot , sunspot ➡ note at dot
2.
a small dirty mark on sth :
His jacket was covered with spots of mud.
rust spots
➡ note at mark
3.
[ usually pl. ] a small mark or lump on a person's skin, sometimes with a yellow head to it :
The baby's whole body was covered in small red spots.
( BrE )
teenagers worried about their spots
—compare pimple , rash , zit
PLACE
4.
a particular area or place :
a quiet / secluded / lonely, etc. spot
He showed me the exact spot where he had asked her to marry him.
She stood rooted to the spot with fear (= unable to move) .
a tourist spot
—see also black spot , blind spot , hot spot , nightspot , trouble spot ➡ note at place
SMALL AMOUNT
5.
[ usually sing. ] spot of sth ( BrE , informal ) a small amount of sth
SYN bit :
He's in a spot of trouble.
6.
[ usually pl. ] spot (of sth) a small amount of a liquid :
I felt a few spots of rain.
PART OF SHOW
7.
a part of a television, radio, club or theatre show that is given to a particular entertainer or type of entertainment :
a guest / solo spot
IN COMPETITION
8.
a position in a competition or an event :
two teams battling for top spot
LIGHT
9.
( informal ) = spotlight
•
IDIOMS
- in a (tight) spot
- on the spot
- put sb on the spot
—more at bright adjective , glue verb , hit verb , knock verb , leopard , rivet verb , soft
■ verb ( -tt- )
1.
(not used in the progressive tenses) to see or notice a person or thing, especially suddenly or when it is not easy to do so :
[ vn ]
I finally spotted my friend in the crowd.
I've just spotted a mistake on the front cover.
Can you spot the difference between these two pictures?
[ vn -ing ]
Neighbours spotted smoke coming out of the house.
[ v that ]
No one spotted that the gun was a fake.
[ v wh- ]
I soon spotted what the mistake was.
—see also spotter ➡ note at see
2.
[ vnn ] ( NAmE , sport ) to give your opponent or the other team an advantage :
We spotted the opposing team two goals.
•
IDIOMS
- be spotted with sth
■ adjective
[ only before noun ] ( business ) connected with a system of trading where goods are delivered and paid for immediately after sale :
spot prices
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : perhaps from Middle Dutch spotte . The sense notice, recognize arose from the early 19th-cent. slang use note as a suspect or criminal .