black spot

noun

Definition of black spot

1 : any of several bacterial or fungal diseases of plants characterized by black spots or blotches especially on the leaves

2 chiefly British : a dangerous or troublesome place or area … Wisteria Lane has always been a major accident black spot.— Jane Simon

Examples of black spot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There needs to be ample airflow around your plants to help prevent fungal diseases such as black spot and powdery mildew from forming. — Patricia S York, Southern Living, "How To Plant a Rose Bush," 25 Mar. 2021 Below Brønlund's signature was an odd-looking black spot. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Study sheds new light on polar explorer’s final hours, 100+ years later," 28 Dec. 2020 The team took small samples from the black spot and analyzed them with X-ray fluorescence, synchrotron radiation powder x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and gas chromatography mass spectrometry, among other methods. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Study sheds new light on polar explorer’s final hours, 100+ years later," 28 Dec. 2020 The Royal Library in Copenhagen took ownership of the explorer’s diary, and in 1993, an unnamed researcher acting without supervisors’ permission removed the black spot from its pages. — Livia Gershon, Smithsonian Magazine, "Black Smudge on Diary Page Reveals 1907 Arctic Expedition’s Tragic End," 23 Dec. 2020 Cooler, drier weather may reduce black spot on highly susceptible roses, like hybrid tea roses. — Dan Gill, NOLA.com, "In the garden: Spider lilies blooming soon; add mulch and collect seeds," 9 Sep. 2020 They can be found in the same waters, and both are similar in color, being mainly silver-white, with abundant black spots. — Popular Science, "A beginner’s guide to freshwater fishing," 1 June 2020 Affected fish will have black spots on them, which is not the parasite itself, but a cyst surrounding the parasite. — Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, "10 Common Parasites and Diseases Found in Game Fish (and What You Need to Know About Them)," 27 May 2020 They can be found in the same waters, and both are similar in color, being mainly silver-white, with abundant black spots. — Bob Mcnally, Field & Stream, "The Beginner’s Guide to Catching Your First Fish," 11 May 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'black spot.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.