eyespot

noun

ˈī-ˌspät How to pronounce eyespot (audio)
Definition of eyespotnext
as in blotch
a small area that is different (as in color) from the main part a tie having eyespots of blue on a light gray background

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of eyespot In a real feather, the barbs can flash the same blue-green-bronze as the eyespot. — Douglas Goodwin, The Conversation, 1 June 2026 The scientific name Actias luna, derived from the Roman goddess, refers to the moth’s moon-like eyespots. — Kai Coggin, Time, 16 May 2026 The eyespots on the hindwings are oval or round, according to the post. — Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2025 The team observed laser emissions in two distinct wavelengths for all color regions of the feathers' eyespots, with the green color regions emitting the most intense laser light. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 30 July 2025 Peacock butterflies are distinguished by a series of striking eyespots on their wings, which serve to threaten or confuse potential predators. — Michael Franco, New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2024 But why did some lineages evolve shell eyes rather than eyespots? — Quanta Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024 First, red eyespots appear; then the amorphous bodies coalesce and darken into their ferocious adult forms. — Nala Rogers, Popular Mechanics, 9 Aug. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eyespot
  1. blotch
  2. dot
  3. speck
  4. patch
  5. fleck
Noun
  • Doctors detected abnormal breath sounds, and a scan revealed a round blotch in his right lung—a sign of blood, pus, fluid or tissue—but tests for common pathogens came back negative.
    — Rachel Melegrito, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Juveniles can be distinguished by their dark facial bands and gray or tan body patterned with black or brown blotches.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of blotch
Noun
  • The Aerial View feature, similar to Ring’s Birds’ Eye View, provides an overhead view of motion events with dots that show you where visitors have traveled.
    — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 3 Nov. 2026
  • In Gmail, open the suspicious message, select the three-dot menu and choose Report phishing .
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of dot
Noun
  • The pair are flip sides of the same coin; Kinney a speck of blue running in a red state, and Austin a Republican running in the Democratic stronghold of Connecticut.
    — Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Chips could be destroyed by even a speck of dust, so factories became impregnable clean rooms, their workers clad in bunny suits.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of speck
Noun
  • My boho style and penchant for adding bright patches and brooches to all my clothing marked me as decidedly not a local.
    — Abby Hepworth, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The plaintiffs in the three lawsuits are calling for a halt to work on a monument that is set to be built on a patch of grass off a bridge that spans the Potomac River and connects Washington with Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Va.
    — Matthew Daly, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of patch
Noun
  • In addition, since all this debris is moving at orbital velocity, a fleck of paint traveling in the opposite direction to an operational satellite can hit it at a speed in excess of Mach 47.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2026
  • As few as 10 cells, hidden in an infinitesimal fleck of feces, can contaminate raw milk and trigger a fatal infection.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of fleck

Browse Nearby Words

eyesores
eyespot
eyespots
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Eyespot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eyespot. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on eyespot

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about eyespot

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