I. ˈspät, usu -äd.+V noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English spotte, spot; akin to Middle Dutch spotte stain, speck, Old Norse spotti small piece, bit
1. : a taint on character or reputation : blemish upon moral purity : disgrace , stigma , fault , reproach
keep this commandment without spot — 1 Tim 6:14 (Authorized Version)
the only spot upon the family name
2.
a. : a usually disfiguring mark on a substance or body made by a deposit of foreign matter : discolored place : blot , speck , stain
out, damned spot — Shakespeare
a dark spot that might have been blood
conscious of a grease spot on his necktie
tablecloth had many spots
one coat is guaranteed to cover all spots and blemishes
remove all common household spots such as ink, oil, tar, paint, gum — Sears, Roebuck Cat.
b. : such a disfiguring mark or discolored place resulting from natural causes (as injury, disease)
bruised spot on an apple
cut out several spots of rot
as
(1) : a circumscribed area (as of different density, rarefaction) in an organ seen by means of X rays or an instrument (as an ophthalmoscope)
a spot on the retina
left him with a spot on his lungs — Green Peyton
(2) : pimple
(3) : sunspot
(4) : nevus
(5) : one of the circumscribed discolored areas produced on a plant (as upon leaves, fruits) by various fungi or by nonparasitic agencies — compare rust
3. : a small part or area differing to the eye (as in color, finish, composition) from the main ground or surface
a leopard's spots
black silk with white spots
orchards made spots of pink among the green meadows
patterns of transparent spots on photographic film — Machine Literature Searching
added up the spots on the dice
set of dominoes with badly worn spots
combed his hair over a bald spot
saw spots before his eyes
as
a. obsolete : beauty spot , patch
b. : a blaze on a tree
c.
(1) : a conventionalized design used on playing cards to distinguish suits and indicate values — called also pip
(2) : any similar distinguishing device (as a numeral) used on objects (as billiard balls, paper money) in a set or series
(3) : an object having a specified number of such designs or devices on its surface or bearing a specified distinguishing numeral
played the six- spot
sank the three- spot in the corner pocket
handed the waiter a ten- spot
d.
(1) : any of the small marks on the bed of a billiard or pool table indicating where balls are to be placed
(2) : spot ball
(3) : spot stroke
e.
(1) : any of the circular marks painted on or embedded in the floor of a bowling alley to indicate the positions of the pins in tenpins and similar games
(2) : the calculated spot part way down the alley at which a spot bowler aims when attempting to make a strike
f.
(1) : a small character (as a star or diamond) used in printing as an ornament or eye-arresting device
(2) : a small simple illustration usually without a rectangular border or frame placed amid or at the end of type matter
4.
a. : a small quantity or amount : bit , particle
not a spot of room anywhere
b. chiefly Britain : a relatively small but indeterminate amount
doing a spot of wrestling — A.J.Liebling
go over … for a spot of lunch — John Brooks
liked nothing better than a spot of conversation — Thomas Sugrue
do a spot of big-game fishing — Alden Hatch
lie down for a spot of rest
stopped for a spot of beer
specifically : a smallish amount of liquor : drop , drink
could do with a few spots — A.P.Gaskell
how about having a spot
5.
a. : a particular locality especially of somewhat limited extent
one of the most beautiful spots in the world
prepared to move the capital to a safer spot
selected a spot for the next annual meeting
words from all the spots on the earth — Charlton Laird
any spot … was more endurable than the place she was in — Ellen Glasgow
hottest spots … were Parliament itself, Spain, and Ireland — G.W.Johnson
two foremost danger spots in the East-West struggle — Carlyle Morgan
b. : a small extent of space
the exact spot where the crash occurred
trying to find a dry spot for a picnic
found the right spot behind the books, and the click of a sliding panel was heard — T.B.Costain
X marks the spot
looking for a quiet spot to fish
c. : a locality or a building used or suitable for a particular purpose
favorite vacation spot for New Yorkers
excellent picnic spots
his favorite fishing spot
well-known gambling spot
cleaning up the vice spots
famous dining spots — Ford Times
especially : nightclub
had a late dinner and then took in a few spots
tried another spot , where there was dancing — Molly L. Bar-David
a Chicago jazz spot — Martin Gardner
6. : a small part or area differing from the whole to which it belongs
represented on the tape by invisible magnetic spots — Univac
sensory spots on the skin — R.S.Woodworth
complained of a sore spot in his throat
finger detected a rough spot
high spots of each publishing season — William Peden
another dark spot appeared to be brightening as farm prices steadied — Dun's Review
do not have excessively bright spots in their pattern of mental abilities — R.J.Williams
has spots of very fine acting — Henry Huses
7. : a small croaker ( Leiostomus xanthurus ) of the Atlantic coast of the United States that is highly esteemed as a panfish and that has a black spot behind the shoulders and 15 oblique dark bars
8. : a particular position or situation especially in order of priority (as in a place of employment, an organization, a program or schedule or on a slate or ticket)
the top spots in industry and finance — W.G.Hardy
berth , billet , post
finally found a spot as a receptionist
a Cabinet spot here, an undersecretaryship there — E.J.Kahn
been tried at every spot except pitcher and catcher — W.B.Furlong
if he ended up in my spot one day — Louis Auchincloss
especially : a place on a program of entertainment
deserve a better spot on the program — T.W.Duncan
had a solo spot
shifted him to a daytime spot
engaged him for a 15 minute dramatic spot
has several guest spots lined up
9. spots plural
[ spot (III) ]
: commodities (as merchandise and cotton) sold for immediate delivery
10.
a.
[by shortening]
: spotlight
gallery spots
proscenium spots
an amber spot
a battery of baby spots — Christopher Morley
individually lighted by a spot in the ceiling — Lamp
b. : the spot of light that results from an electron beam hitting the phosphor in a picture tube and that traces out the television picture
11.
a. : a situation with respect to conditions and circumstances : position
a tough spot
in a fine spot for rapid promotion
b. : a position of difficulty or embarrassment : fix , predicament
was indeed in a dilemma — in a spot — R.M.Lovett
one of those spots you get in — J.M.Cain
12. : a brief interval between scheduled radio or television programs during which an announcement or advertisement is broadcast ; also : the announcement of advertisement broadcast
•
- in spots
- on the spot
II. verb
( spotted ; spotted ; spotting ; spots )
Etymology: Middle English spotten, from spotte, spot spot
transitive verb
1.
a. : to taint or stain the character or reputation of : disgrace
may I live spotted for my perjury — Francis Beaumont & John Fletcher
b.
(1) obsolete : blame , asperse
(2) : give information against
2. : to mark with a disfiguring or discoloring spot
spotted his necktie
: stain in spots : cover with spots
trail of blood spotted the snow
was spotted with mud from top to bottom
fungus that spots the leaves
3. : to mark with a distinctive spot (as for ornament, identification)
a book with edges spotted by hand
as
a. obsolete : to affix a beauty spot to (the face)
b. : to put a blaze on (a tree) : mark (as a line or trail) with blazes
c.
(1) : to mark (as watch or clock plates, flat surfaces of fine tools) with equally spaced whirls produced by a light abrasive
(2) : to make a mark on (a surface) as a locating mark for laying out or other operations in machining
d. : to mark (as a railroad tie) by a spot of paint or other means as requiring particular attention
4. : to single out : pick out : identify: as
a. : to mark or note as a known criminal or as a suspicious person
b. : to pick out or choose in advance (one of a number of contestants) as the winner
c. : to pick out with the eye : catch sight of : detect , notice , recognize , see
spot a mistake
spotted the fire and turned in an alarm
among the first to spot the danger
how to spot a subversive
spotted a friend in the distance
spotted him at once for an American
spotting airplanes
d.
(1) : to locate (a position) accurately (as on the ground or on a map)
spot the fall of a shell
gunners were unable to spot their shots
spotted the position of the battery
in spotting these crime locations … use one map with different colored tacks — V.A.Leonard
(2) : to observe (a shot) on a target with s spotting scope
5.
a. : to form or appear as spots on : dot , stud
here and there figures spotted the twilight — Scott Fitzgerald
aviation landing-fields with which California is spotted — Aubrey Drury
small boats spotting a harbor
b. : to place in various spots : locate at intervals
spot field telephones and observers strategically — Motor Trend
men who represent the firm are spotted throughout the country — Victor Boesen
6. : to place on an appointed or desired spot : put in position
spot a billiard ball
cameras were spotted about twenty feet from the judges' bench — S.J.Perelman
spotted high in the top gallery, the voices floated easily through the hall — Irving Kolodin
table is small enough to be spotted in tight quarters — Flow Quarterly
as
a. : to place (as a freight car, truck, trailer, crane) in a desired position for loading or unloading
b. : to prick out or transplant (as young vegetable or flowering plants)
c.
(1) : to fix in the beam of a spotlight
mass spectacles in which individual acts were spotted — Winifred Bambrick
door is sometimes spotted in this manner, with a special mat shaping the light beam — Herbert Philippi
(2) : to direct or focus on like a spotlight
his genial smile was spotted on everyone in turn — Osbert Sitwell
d. : to schedule (as a performer, an act, a program) in a particular position or at a particular time : assign a spot to
spotted the main bout at ten o'clock
is spotted on a daily pop show — Down Beat
if you have a good program, spot it opposite another fine show — Gilbert Seldes
7. : to rid of a spot or other small defect: as
a. : to touch out (as with India ink, opaque, pencil) defects consisting of clear spots in (a photographic negative) : remove similar spots on (a print) with transparent pigment — often used with out
b. : to remove a spot or mark from (a fabric)
8. : to allow as a handicap
spotted his opponent five points and still won easily
spot him two strokes a hole
: concede as an advantage
will spot his rival ten years but nevertheless expected to be the favorite — New York Times
an old timer … could have spotted the big elephant all his blubber and laid him low in a round — J.T.Farrell
intransitive verb
1. : to become stained or discolored in spots
fungus caused the leaves to spot
cloth that tends to spot in the rain
2. : to make a spot : cause staining
always said gin didn't spot — Victoria Lincoln
3. : to act as a spotter especially in locating enemy targets
was spotting for mortar fire — Mack Morriss
specifically : to locate targets for land batteries or warships from the air
planes had spent the morning spotting
III. adjective
Etymology: spot (I)
1. : being, originating, or done on the spot or on or in or for a particular spot
favored spot control rather than general restrictions
spot regulation of traffic — E.G.Mogren & W.S.Smith
treatment of spot unemployment — New Republic
as
a.
(1) : on hand for immediate delivery after sale — used of commodities
spot wheat
spot cocoa
or of services
spot cargo offering
(2) : making a specialty of transactions in spot commodities
spot broker
b.
(1) : paid or ready for payment at once upon delivery of property purchased
spot cash
(2) : involving immediate cash payment
a spot transaction
(3) : engaged in or making a specialty of cash transactions
the spot market
a spot firm
c. : designed to replace precisely a defective spot
spot insert in a page of standing type
spot patch for an electrotype
d. : originating at the scene of a newsworthy event
spot coverage of a foreign election
e.
(1) : broadcast between two scheduled radio or television programs or between parts of a scheduled program (as during a station break)
20-second spot announcements throughout the day — New Republic
well placed spot commercial campaign — S.H.Britt
(2) : originating in or sent out from a local radio or television station for a national advertiser
spot broadcasts
use of electrical transcriptions in spot broadcasting
spot broadcasting … represents more than a third of all investment in television time — H.W.McMahan
2. : made at random or restricted to a few key or sample places or instances
an adequate job of spot research, using only the principal references — W.N.Fenton
a spot test
cross-country spot check on current business — Banking
a small spot survey of where they go and what they like to eat — Jane Nickerson
also : selected at random or as a sample
spot questions
a dozen spot cities west of the Mississippi
IV. adverb
Etymology: spot (I)
: for cash