Etymology : Middle English; akin to Middle Dutch spotte stain, speck, Old Norse spotti small piece
Pronunciation : 'spät
Function : noun
Date : 13th century
1. roundish stain, dot, speck; place; awkward or difficult situation, predicament; specific location, area; stain on one's reputation, blemish; pimple (British); spotlight. mark, dot, stain; remove a spot from; notice, detect, recognize; become stained; place, set in a particular position, locate. made or done immediately; paid at once; broadcast between major radio or television programs; performed randomly. adexactly, precisely (Slang). spot\spot\ , a. lit., being on the spot, or place; hence (com.), on hand for immediate delivery after sale; -- said of commodities; as, spot wheat.spot \spot\ , n. [cf. scot. & d. spat, dan. spette, sw. spott spittle, slaver; from the root of e. spit. see:
spit to eject from the mouth, and cf. spatter.].
2. a mark on a substance or body made by foreign matter; a blot; a place discolored. out, damned spot! out, i say!.
3. a stain on character or reputation; something that soils purity; disgrace; reproach; fault; blemish. yet chloe, sure, was formed without a spot.
4. a small part of a different color from the main part, or from the ground upon which it is; as, the spots of a leopard; the spots on a playing card.
5. a small extent of space; a place; any particular place. "fixed to one spot." that spot to which i point is paradise. "a jolly place," said he, "in times of old! but something ails it now: the spot is cursed.".
6. (zo?l.) a variety of the common domestic pigeon, so called from a spot on its head just above its beak.
7. (zo?l.) (a) a sci?noid food fish (liostomus xanthurus) of the atlantic coast of the united states. it has a black spot behind the shoulders and fifteen oblique dark bars on the sides. called also goody, lafayette, masooka, and old wife. (b) the southern redfish, or red horse, which has a spot on each side at the base of the tail. see:
redfish.
8. pl. commodities, as merchandise and cotton, sold for immediate delivery. [broker's cant].
9. A mark on a substance or body made by foreign matter; a blot; a place discolored.
10. A stain on character or reputation; something that soils purity; disgrace; reproach; fault; blemish.
11. A small part of a different color from the main part, or from the ground upon which it is; as, the spots of a leopard; the spots on a playing card.
12. A small extent of space; a place; any particular place.
13. A variety of the common domestic pigeon, so called from a spot on its head just above its beak.
14. A sciænoid food fish of the Atlantic coast of the United States.
15. It has a black spot behind the shoulders and fifteen oblique dark bars on the sides.
16. Called also goody, Lafayette, masooka, and old wife.
17. The southern redfish, or red horse, which has a spot on each side at the base of the tail.
18. See Redfish.
19. Commodities, as merchandise and cotton, sold for immediate delivery.
20. To make visible marks upon with some foreign matter; to discolor in or with spots; to stain; to cover with spots or figures; as, to spot a garnment; to spot paper.
21. To mark or note so as to insure recognition; to recognize; to detect; as, to spot a criminal.
22. To stain; to blemish; to taint; to disgrace; to tarnish, as reputation; to asperse.
23. To become stained with spots.
24. Lit., being on the spot, or place; on hand for immediate delivery after sale; said of commodities; as, spot wheat. a business establishment for entertainment; "night spot" a playing card with a specified number of pips on it to indicate its value; "an eight spot" a small contrasting part of something; "a bald spot"; "a leopard's spots"; "a patch of clouds"; "patches of thin ice"; "a fleck of red" a section of an entertainment that is assigned to a specific performer or performance; "they changed his spot on the program" a short section or illustration that is often used for advertising a mark on a playing card a small quantity; "a spot of tea"; "a bit of paper" mark with a spot or spots so as to allow easy recognition; "spot the areas that one should clearly identify" become spotted; "This dress spots quickly" make a spot or mark onto; "The wine spotted the tablecloth".
25. spot, spotlight. spot, spotlight.
26. cin / TV spot.
27. 1. Spots are small, round, coloured areas on a surface. The leaves have yellow areas on the top and underneath are powdery orange spots The swimsuit comes in navy with white spots or blue with green spots.
28. Spots on a person's skin are small lumps or marks. Never squeeze blackheads, spots or pimples.
29. A spot of a liquid is a small amount of it. Spots of rain had begun to fall.
30. If you have a spot of something, you have a small amount of it. Mr Brooke is undoubtedly in a spot of bother We've given all the club members tea, coffee and a spot of lunch. = bit.
31. You can refer to a particular place as a spot. They stayed at several of the island's top tourist spots They all stood there staring, as if frozen to the spot.
32. A spot in a television or radio show is a part of it that is regularly reserved for a particular performer or type of entertainment. Unsuccessful at screen writing, he got a spot on a CNN film show. = slot.
33. If you spot something or someone, you notice them. Vicenzo failed to spot the error see also:
spotted, black spot, blind spot.
34. If you are on the spot, you are at the actual place where something is happening. areas where troops are on the spot and protecting civilians.
35. If you do something on the spot, you do it immediately. James was called to see:
the producer and got the job on the spot.
36. If you put someone on the spot, you cause them to have to answer a difficult question or make a difficult decision. He put me on the spot a bit because he invited me right in front of his mum and I didn't particularly want to go Even clever people are not terribly clever when put on the spot.
37. rooted to the spot: see:
rooted to have a soft spot for someone: see soft.