spotter

noun

spot·​ter ˈspä-tər 

1

: one that makes or applies a spot (as for identification)

2

: one that looks or keeps watch: such as

a

: one that locates enemy targets

b

: a civilian who watches for approaching airplanes

c

: a person who assists another during exercise (as to prevent injury)

3

: one that removes spots

4

: one that places something on or in a desired spot

Examples of spotter in a Sentence

When you lift weights, you should always have a spotter.

Recent Examples on the Web

This is the first line of defense for head injuries, with a vast majority of the communication coming as calls to concussion spotters monitoring for the need to pull players off the ice for evaluation. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

With spotters overlooking the fjords and communicating from land, fishers set fires in canoes to lure tuna close enough to harpoon. — Torben Rick, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026

Portraits of young female military spotters, whose warnings about a potential attack were disregarded, mark their deaths that day. — Cara Anna, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Carl Sbarounis, who works as an aerial spotter for commercial fisheries, said a friend spotted the whale shark originally and alerted him, SF Gate reported. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 13 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing spotter

• talent spotter
• trend spotter

Rhymes for spotter

• auteur
• blotter
• cotter
• daughter
• hotter
• mater
• otter
• plotter
• rotter
• slaughter
• squatter
• totter

Kids Definition

spotter

noun

spot·​ter ˈspät-ər 

1

: a person who removes spots

2

: a person who keeps watch : observer

3

: a person who helps another during exercise (as to prevent injury)