spot

1 of 3

noun

1
: a taint on character or reputation : fault
the only spot on the family name
2
a
: a small area visibly different (as in color, finish, or material) from the surrounding area
b(1)
: an area marred or marked (as by dirt)
(2)
: a circumscribed surface lesion of disease (such as measles) or decay
spots of rot
rust spots on a leaf
c
: a conventionalized design used on playing cards to distinguish the suits and indicate values
3
: an object having a specified number of spots or a specified numeral on its surface
4
: a small quantity or amount : bit
5
a
: a particular place, area, or part
b
: a small extent of space
6
plural usually spot : a small croaker (Leiostomus xanthurus) of the Atlantic coast with a black spot behind the opercula
7
a
: a particular position (as in an organization or a hierarchy)
b
: a place or appearance on an entertainment program
8
9
: a position usually of difficulty or embarrassment
10
: a brief announcement or advertisement broadcast between scheduled radio or television programs
11
: a brief segment or report on a broadcast especially of news

spot

2 of 3

verb

spotted; spotting

transitive verb

1
: to stain the character or reputation of : disgrace
2
: to mark in or with a spot : stain
The snow was spotted with blood.
His pants were spotted with mud.
3
: to locate or identify by a spot
4
a
: to single out : identify
especially : to note as a known criminal or a suspicious person
b
: detect, notice
spot a mistake
spotted a deer in the woods
c(1)
: to locate accurately
spot an enemy position
(2)
: to cause to strike accurately
spot the battery's fire
d
: to watch or assist (someone) during athletic competition or exercise (as for gymnastics or weight lifting) especially to prevent injury
She's the darling of the weight room wherever she works out, spotting guys twice her size.Rick Reilly
5
a
: to lie at intervals in or over : stud
small boats spotting the harbor
b
: to place at intervals or in a desired spot
spot field telephones
c
: to fix in or as if in the beam of a spotlight
d
: to schedule in a particular spot or at a particular time
spotted the main act at 9 p.m.
e
football : to put (the football) at the appropriate place on the field in preparation for the next play
The official spotted the ball at the 10-yard line.
6
: to remove a spot from
7
a
: to give a specified advantage to (an opponent) : to allow as a handicap (see handicap entry 1 sense 1b)
She spotted me five points and still beat me easily.
spot him two strokes a hole in golf
b
informal : to lend (someone) a usually small amount of money
Can you spot me five bucks?

intransitive verb

1
: to become stained or discolored in spots
Fungus caused the leaves to spot.
2
: to cause a spot
a detergent that always spots
3
: to act as a spotter
especially : to locate targets
4
: to experience abnormal and sporadic bleeding in small amounts from the uterus
spottable adjective

spot

3 of 3

adjective

1
a
: being, originating, or done on the spot or in or for a particular spot
spot coverage of the news
b
: available for immediate delivery after sale
spot commodities
c(1)
: paid out upon delivery
spot cash
(2)
: involving immediate cash payment
a spot transaction
d(1)
: broadcast between scheduled programs
spot announcements
(2)
: originating in a local station for a national advertiser
e
: performing occasionally when needed
a spot starter
2
: made at random or restricted to a few places or instances
a spot check
also : selected at random or as a sample
Phrases
on the spot
1
: at once : immediately
2
: at the place of action
3
a
: in a responsible or accountable position
b
: in a difficult or trying situation

Example Sentences

Noun The wood still has some rough spots. The chair's original paint is still visible in spots. He fell through a weak spot in the ice. The tablecloth had a couple of spots. There were mud spots on the back of his pants. rust spots on the metal I noticed some red spots on my arms. spots of rot on the leaf a teenager with spots on his face This looks like a good spot for a picnic. Verb She spotted a deer in the woods. The band's lead singer was recently spotted with a well-known actress. They spotted us five points, and we still lost. I'm a little short of cash. Can you spot me five bucks? The official spotted the ball at the 10-yard line. Adjective the difference between futures and spot commodities the spot price of wheat See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The magazine raised a toast to Church in Old Goucher as well as to Ash Bar and Bloom’s, a pair of bars inside the Hotel Ulysses, as part of its annual exploration of the country’s top spots to grab a stiff drink. Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 1 June 2023 These are the best Disneyland restaurants and snack spots. Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2023 The spot features Maizy Gordon and the Black Girls Surf junior team chasing their dreams in the ocean like the Disney princess. Sam Burros, Peoplemag, 31 May 2023 Brad Joyal The sectional title earns Feehan a spot in the state championship June 5 at The Longmeadow Country Club. Eamonn Ryan, BostonGlobe.com, 31 May 2023 Taylor Swift holds at No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart (dated June 3), spending a record-extending 67th week as the top musical act in the U.S. Related Swift maintains her top spot thanks, largely, to nine albums on the Billboard 200, all of which rank in the chart’s top 40. Xander Zellner, Billboard, 31 May 2023 Sam finally gets his spot on the Nigerian national team. Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 May 2023 Temperatures should continue their climb, toward highs in the mid-80s in most spots. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 31 May 2023 The two centibillionaires, a term used to refer to people with fortunes of more than $100 billion, have been neck-and-neck for the top spot for months. Michelle Toh, CNN, 31 May 2023
Verb
May 16: Taylor and Matty spotted leaving a recording studio. Olivia Evans, Women's Health, 17 May 2023 Miranda is not a WGA member but was spotted handing out donuts to WGA members on the picket lines in New York last week. Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2023 The flare was spotted by two systems that survey the night sky looking for objects with rapid shifts in brightness: California’s Zwicky Transient Facility first detected it in 2020, and then it was found by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System in Hawaii. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2023 The 1975 frontman was spotted attending Taylor Swift's Eras Tour again — this time spending some quality time with her father Scott in a VIP area of the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 15 May 2023 The romance confirmation comes three months after rumors began swirling around the couple when they were spotted out and getting cozy during Paris Fashion Week in February. Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 13 May 2023 The truck was then spotted on a Bel Air road, and when the driver, later identified as 38-year-old Michael D. Stevens II, refused to pull over, a multi-agency pursuit ensued, the sheriff's office said, with the suspect making his way south onto Interstate-95. Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 13 May 2023 Swift and Healy are officially spotted out together getting cozy at Casa Cipriani in New York City (and Swift looks lovely in a breezy yellow sundress from DÔEN). Sabrina Park, Harper's BAZAAR, 12 May 2023 After successfully going toe-to-toe with Cocaine Bear, Elizabeth Banks is ready to befriend some new furry friends — spotted dogs, rainbow teddy bears, and calico kittens, oh my! Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 11 May 2023
Adjective
Learn about ancient history and snack on gelato in Rome, spot favorite animals and learn about conservation on an African safari, or go to the extremes of the Earth on a family-friendly Antarctica cruise. Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 14 Mar. 2023 Otto Desćinski — better known as Otto Desć — is a completely fictional filmmaker that was made up by Ryan Reynolds' creative agency Maximum Effort as part of a multi-spot ad campaign for software company Autodesk. Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 13 Mar. 2023 On the farm: DH isn’t exactly a spot minor leaguers work at. Dallas News, 17 Feb. 2022 Another spot brand-new to Boston this year, Next Door Speakeasy opened in March and looks like a vintage locksmith shop to casual passersby. Joy Ashford, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Dec. 2022 While flows to China and India remain stable, two key Indian refiners have halted spot purchases of Russian crude that would arrive after E.U. sanctions, which will deprive vessels of insurance and other services, come into force on Dec. 5. Julian Lee, Anchorage Daily News, 25 Oct. 2022 Three private rooms are outfitted with karaoke making this spot one-stop shopping for a fun night on the town. William Li, Town & Country, 10 Oct. 2022 Some of Buchwald’s satires were so spot on they were mistaken for truth. Eric Weiner, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2022 In retrospect, some spot minor flaws that now loom larger: Blanca’s father brought home scores of women and barked at her to mind her business. Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 16 June 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English; akin to Middle Dutch spotte stain, speck, Old Norse spotti small piece

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b(2)

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

1861, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of spot was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near spot

Cite this Entry

“Spot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spot. Accessed 4 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

spot

1 of 3 noun
1
: something bad that others know about one : fault
2
a
: a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part
b
: an area marred or marked (as by dirt)
c
: a small diseased or decayed area on the body surface of a plant or animal
spots of rot on a leaf
spots of chicken pox
3
a
: a small quantity or amount
b
: a particular place
a good spot for a picnic
a sore spot
4
: a particular position (as in an organization or on a program)
5
6
: a position usually of difficulty or embarrassment
put someone in a spot
7
: a short broadcast announcement or advertisement

spot

2 of 3 verb
spotted; spotting
1
: to mark or become marked with or as if with spots
2
: to single out : identify
spot a friend in a crowd

spot

3 of 3 adjective
1
a
: done on the spot
spot coverage of the news
b
: paid upon delivery
spot cash
c
: involving immediate cash payment
the spot market for oil
d
: broadcast between scheduled programs
spot announcements
2
: made from time to time or in a few places or instances
a spot check

Medical Definition

spot

1 of 2 noun
: a circumscribed mark or area: as
a
: a circumscribed surface lesion of disease (as measles)
b
: a circumscribed abnormality in an organ seen by means of X-rays or an instrument
X-rays revealed a spot on the lung

spot

2 of 2 intransitive verb
spotted; spotting
: to experience abnormal and sporadic bleeding in small amounts from the uterus

More from Merriam-Webster on spot

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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