Main Entry: ¹blot

Pronunciation: \ˈblät\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English

Date: 14th century

1 : a soiling or disfiguring mark : spot
2 : a mark of reproach : moral flaw
3 : a usually nitrocellulose or nylon sheet that contains spots of immobilized macromolecules (as of DNA, RNA, or protein) or their fragments and is used to identify specific components of the spots by applying a molecular probe (as a complementary nucleic acid or a radio labeled antibody) — compare southern blot, western blot