sunspot

noun

sun·​spot ˈsən-ˌspät 

: any of the dark spots that appear at times on the sun's surface and are usually visible only through a telescope

Examples of sunspot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Risks are higher during periods of greater solar activity, which follows an 11-year cycle that researchers track by tallying the dark sunspots that represent magnetic storms capable of producing outbursts. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 31 Mar. 2026

Mandal and Kosovichev found that these rotating bands of plasma inside the Sun form a butterfly pattern that matches the way the location of sunspots changes across the sun's 11-year cycle of magnetic activity. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 26 Mar. 2026

Expensive; may chip easily This deep purple-red reflects light, softening the appearance of veins, sunspots and discoloration. —Taryn Brooke, Glamour, 16 Feb. 2026

Magnetic disturbances on the sun’s surface that can be as big as Earth, the number of sunspots on any day indicates how magnetically active the sun is. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 7 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1676, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sunspot

• allot
• barat
• begot
• besought
• bethought
• bloodshot
• boycott
• buckshot
• crackpot
• croat
• culottes
• dashpot

Kids Definition

sunspot

noun

sun·​spot -ˌspät 

: one of the dark spots that appear from time to time on the sun's surface and are usually visible only through a telescope