black spot

noun

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

The tan forewings have black spots, while their signature colorful hindwings have lower red and upper black patches, separated by a white section. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025

Before and After: Doctors focused ultrasound inside the brain of a patient with essential tremor, creating lesions (bottom row) deep within the brain (black spots inside white mass at center).Images: Focused Ultrasound Foundation Brain surgery is fraught with hugerisks and uncertainty. —IEEE Spectrum, 26 Dec. 2014

For instance, if your potatoes and tomatoes are afflicted with black spot, don't plant your rose in the vegetable garden. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2025

At rest, with its wings folded, the bug is a dull tan-gray color with black spots. —Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for black spot

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

Medical Definition

black spot

noun

: a spotting of frozen meat caused by an imperfect fungus of the genus Cladosporium (C. herbarum)