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

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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 The great argus is an at-risk species with an elaborate pattern of eyespots on its tail feathers, according to Thai National Parks. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 14 May 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 Their long hindwing tails and eyespots combine to give them a look resembling an elephant’s face. Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2023 First, Rowland and her co-author trained chicks to attack a mealworm hidden behind a paper printout of two eyespots at the end of a runway. Maddie Bender, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2023 The 30-centimeter-long adult grows out of a larva that is little more than a sesame seed–size blob with an eyespot at one end and a band of cilia around its body. Byelizabeth Pennisi, science.org, 17 Jan. 2023 The eyespot is studded with light-sensitive proteins called channelrhodopsins. Marc Zimmer, The Conversation, 5 Aug. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eyespot
Noun
  • Verticillium wilt causes similar blotches and yellowing.
    Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 June 2025
  • Nebular patches alternate with blotches of jet; just visible in the foreground is a circle of white dots crossed with lines that meet at its center, like a spoked wheel of stars.
    Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • The previous dot plot, released in March, had the same median projection.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 June 2025
  • For example, Apple's Face ID employs infrared dot projection and on-device AI to prevent spoofing.
    Rohan Pinto, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Noun
  • Like specks of dirt falling victim to a vacuum, balls were simply drawn into his glove.
    Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 19 June 2025
  • This natural phenomenon, in which light-emitting sea creatures like algae cause the water to glitter with specks of blue and white light, is best viewed on a dark, moonless night.
    Jessie Beck, AFAR Media, 16 June 2025
Noun
  • My thick Florida grass is plagued by fuzzy patches where my robomower cut imperfectly.
    Anthony Karcz, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
  • The gentle water-bath heating method helps distribute warmth evenly across the bottle, avoiding hot spots or cold patches.
    Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • The gloss comes in six sheer shades, ranging from clear to a purple hue, and four of them include shimmery flecks that’ll catch the light to make your lips look even juicier.
    Angela Trakoshis, Allure, 4 June 2025
  • Miniature crystals dot the brown enamel to look like flecks of salt.
    Jamie Allison Sanders, People.com, 9 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Eyespot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eyespot. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

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