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spot

Syllabification: (spot)
Pronunciation: /spät/

Translate spot | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of spot

noun

  • 1a small round or roundish mark, differing in color or texture from the surface around it:ladybugs have black spots on their red wing covers
  • a small mark or stain:a spot of mildew on the wall
  • chiefly British a pimple.
  • archaic a moral blemish or stain.
  • a pip on a domino, playing card, or die.
  • [in combination] informal a banknote of a specified value:a ten-spot
  • 2a particular place or point:a nice secluded spot an ideal picnic spot
  • [with adjective] a small feature or part of something with a particular quality:his bald spot there was one bright spot in a night of dismal failure
  • a position within a listing; a ranking:the runner-up spot
  • Sports an advantage allowed to a player as a handicap.
  • a place for an individual item within a show:she couldn’t do her usual singing spot in the club
  • 3 informal, chiefly British a small amount of something:a spot of rain
  • 4 [as modifier] denoting a system of trading in which commodities or currencies are delivered and paid for immediately after a sale:trading in the spot markets the current spot price

verb (spots, spotting, spotted)

  • 1 [with object] see, notice, or recognize (someone or something) that is difficult to detect or that one is searching for:Andrew spotted the ad in the paper the men were spotted by police
  • (usually be spotted) recognize that (someone) has a particular talent, especially for sports or show business:we were spotted by a talent scout
  • [no object] Military locate an enemy’s position, typically from the air:they were spotting for enemy aircraft
  • 2 [with object] (usually be spotted) mark with spots:the velvet was spotted with stains
  • [no object] become marked with spots:a damp atmosphere causes the flowers to spot
  • cover (a surface or area) thinly:thorn trees spotted the land
  • archaic stain or sully the moral character or qualities of.
  • 3 [with object] place (a billiard ball or football) on its designated starting point.
  • 4 [with two objects] informal give or lend (money) to (someone):I’ll spot you $300
  • allow (an advantage) to (someone) in a game or sport:the higher-rated team spots the lower-rated team the difference in their handicaps
  • 5 [with object] observe or assist (a gymnast) during a performance in order to minimize the chance of injury to the gymnast.

Phrases

hit the spot

informal be exactly what is required:the cup of coffee hit the spot

in a spot

informal in a difficult situation.

on the spot

  • 1without any delay; immediately:he offered me the job on the spot
  • 2at the scene of an action or event:journalists on the spot reported no progress

put someone on the spot

informal force someone into a situation in which they must make a difficult decision or answer a difficult question.

Origin:

Middle English: perhaps from Middle Dutch spotte. The sense 'notice, recognize' arose from the early 19th-century slang use 'note as a suspect or criminal'

spot in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of spot in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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Word of the day

kempt

/ kem(p)t /
adjective
maintained in a neat and clean condition …