hit the spot

noun

a rounded mark or stain made by foreign matter, as mud, blood, paint, ink, etc.; a blot or speck.

something that mars one's character or reputation; blemish; flaw.

a small blemish, mole, or lesion on the skin or other surface.

a small, circumscribed mark caused by disease, allergic reaction, decay, etc.

a comparatively small, usually roundish, part of a surface differing from the rest in color, texture, character, etc.: a bald spot.

a place or locality: A monument marks the spot where Washington slept.

Usually, spots. places of entertainment or sightseeing interest: We went to a few spots to dance and see the floor shows.

spot announcement.

a specific position in a sequence or hierarchy: The choral group has the second spot on the program, right after the dancers. He moved up from second spot to become president of the firm.

10.

Cards.

one of various traditional, geometric drawings of a club, diamond, heart, or spade on a playing card for indicating suit and value.

any playing card from a two through a ten: He drew a jack, a queen, and a three spot.

11.

a pip, as on dice or dominoes.

12.

Slang. a piece of paper money, almost always indicated as a five- or ten-dollar bill: Can you loan me a five spot until payday?

13.

Also called spot illustration. a small drawing, usually black and white, appearing within or accompanying a text.

14.

Chiefly British Informal.

a small quantity of anything.

a drink: a spot of tea.

15.

a small croaker, Leiostomus xanthurus, of the eastern coast of the U.S., used as a food fish.

16.

spots, Informal. commodities, as grain, wool, and soybeans, sold for immediate delivery.

17.

spot price.

18.

Informal. spotlight ( def 1 ).

verb (used with object)

19.

to stain or mark with spots: The grease spotted my dress.

20.

to remove a spot or spots from (clothing), especially before dry cleaning.

21.

to sully; blemish.

22.

to mark or diversify with spots or dots, as of color: We spotted the wall with blue paint.

23.

to detect or recognize; locate or identify by seeing: to spot a hiding child.

24.

to place or position on a particular place: to spot a billiard ball.

25.

to stop (a railroad car) at the exact place required.

26.

to scatter in various places: to spot chairs here and there in the room.

27.

Informal. spotlight ( def 5 ).

28.

Military.

to determine (a location) precisely on either the ground or a map.

to observe (the results of gunfire at or near a target) for the purpose of correcting aim.

29.

Photography. to remove spots from (a negative or print) by covering with opaque color.

30.

Sports. to give or grant a certain margin or advantage to (an opponent): He spotted the tyro 12 points a game. The champion won, although spotting the challenger twenty pounds.

31.

(in gymnastics) to watch or assist (a performer) in order to prevent injury.

32.

Slang. to lend: Can you spot me twenty for tonight's game?

00:10

Hit the spot is always a great word to know.

So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:

a fool or simpleton; ninny.

a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

verb (used without object)

33.

to make a spot; cause a stain: Ink spots badly.

34.

to become spotted, as some fabrics when spattered with water.

35.

Military. to serve or act as a spotter.

adjective

36.

Radio, Television.

pertaining to the point of origin of a local broadcast.

broadcast between announced programs.

37.

made, paid, delivered, etc., at once: a spot sale; spot goods.

Idioms

38.

hit the high spots, Informal. to deal with or include only the major points of interest: With but a limited amount of vacation time, he concentrated on hitting the high spots of Europe.

39.

hit the spot, Informal. to satisfy a want or need, as to quench thirst: Iced tea hits the spot during the hot summer months.

40.

in a (bad) spot, in an uncomfortable or dangerous predicament: The tourists found themselves in a bad spot after they lost their money in Las Vegas.

41.

knock spots off, British Slang. to outdo easily; beat.

42.

on the spot,

without delay; at once; instantly.

at the very place in question.

in a difficult or embarrassing position.

in a position of being expected to act or to respond in some way.

Origin:
1150–1200; (noun) Middle English spotte; cognate with Middle Dutch, Low German spot speck, Old Norse spotti bit; (v.) late Middle English spotten to stain, mark, derivative of the noun

Related forms

spot·like, adjective

spot·ta·ble, adjective

non·spot·ta·ble, adjective

re·spot, verb, re·spot·ted, re·spot·ting.

un·spot·ta·ble, adjective

Synonyms
2. taint, stigma. 6. locale, site, situation. 21. stain, taint, stigmatize, soil, tarnish. 22. speckle.

Link To hit the spot

Collins

World English Dictionary

spot (spɒt)

—n
1.	a small mark on a surface, such as a circular patch or stain, differing in colour or texture from its surroundings
2.	a geographical area that is restricted in extent: a beauty spot
3.	a location: this is the exact spot on which he died
4.	a blemish of the skin, esp a pimple or one occurring through some disease
5.	a blemish on the character of a person; moral flaw
6.	informal a place of entertainment: we hit all the night spots
7.	informal chiefly (Brit) a small quantity or amount: a spot of lunch
8.	informal an awkward situation: that puts me in a bit of a spot
9.	a short period between regular television or radio programmes that is used for advertising
10.	a position or length of time in a show assigned to a specific performer
11.	short for spotlight
12.	in billiards
	a. Also called: spot ball the white ball that is distinguished from the plain by a mark or spot
	b. the player using this ball
13.	billiards, snooker one of several small black dots on a table that mark where a ball is to be placed
14.	(modifier)
	a. spot market See also spot price denoting or relating to goods, currencies, or securities available for immediate delivery and payment: spot goods
	b. involving immediate cash payment: spot sales
15.	(used mainly in negative constructions) change one's spots to reform one's character
16.	high spot an outstanding event: the high spot of the holiday was the visit to the winery
17.	knock spots off to outstrip or outdo with ease
18.	on the spot
	a. immediately
	b. at the place in question
	c. in the best possible position to deal with a situation
	d. in an awkward predicament
	e. without moving from the place of one's location, etc
	f. (as modifier): our on-the-spot reporter
19.	soft spot a special sympathetic affection or weakness for a person or thing
20.	tight spot a serious, difficult, or dangerous situation
21.	weak spot
	a. some aspect of a character or situation that is susceptible to criticism
	b. a flaw in a person's knowledge: classics is my weak spot

—vb , spots, spotting, spotted
22.	(tr) to observe or perceive suddenly, esp under difficult circumstances; discern
23.	to put stains or spots upon (something)
24.	(intr) (of some fabrics) to be susceptible to spotting by or as if by water: silk spots easily
25.	(tr) to place here and there: they spotted observers along the border
26.	to look out for and note (trains, talent, etc)
27.	(intr) to rain slightly; spit
28.	(tr) billiards to place (a ball) on one of the spots
29.	military to adjust fire in order to correct deviations from (the target) by observation
30.	informal (US) (tr) to yield (an advantage or concession) to (one's opponent): to spot someone a piece in chess

[C12 (in the sense: moral blemish): of German origin; compare Middle Dutch spotte, Old Norse spotti]

'spottable

—*adj*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

spot

c.1200, "moral stain," probably from O.E. splott "a spot, blot, patch (of land)" infl. by M.Du. spotte "spot, speck." Other cognates are E.Fris. spot "speck," N.Fris. spot "speck, piece of ground," O.N. spotti "small piece." It is likely that some of these are borrowed, but the exact evolution now is

impossible to trace. Meaning "speck, stain" is from c.1340. The sense of "particular place" is from c.1300. Meaning "short interval in a broadcast for an advertisement or announcement" is from 1923. Proceeded by a number (e.g. five-spot) it originally was a term for "prison sentence" of that many years (1901, Amer.Eng. slang). To put (someone) on the spot "place in a difficult situation" is from 1928. Colloquial phrase to hit the spot "satisfy, be what is required" is from 1868. Spot check first attested 1933. Spot on "completely, accurately" is attested from 1920.

spot

early 15c., "to stain, sully, tarnish" from spot (n.). Sense of "to stain with spots" is attested from mid-15c. Meaning "to see and recognize," is from 1718, originally colloquial and applied to a criminal or suspected person; the general sense is from 1860.

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

spot (spŏt)
n.

A mark on a surface differing sharply in color from its surroundings.
A stain or blot.

v. spot·ted, spot·ting, spots
To lose a slight amount of blood through the vagina.

Slang Dictionary

hit the spot definition

tv.
and hit the bull's-eye. to be exactly right. (See also ring the bell.) : You really hit the spot with that prediction.
tv.
to be refreshing. : I want something hot—some coffee would really hit the bull's-eye.

Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source

spot definition

n.
a small drink of liquor. : I'll just have a spot, please.
n.
a nightclub; a night spot. : It was a nice little spot, with a combo and a canary.

Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source

spot (so) ( (sth) definition

tv.
to give an advantage to someone. : I'll spot you twenty points.

Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source

American Heritage

Abbreviations & Acronyms

SPOT
satellite positioning and tracking

American Heritage

Idioms & Phrases

hit the spot

Give total satisfaction, as in This beer really hits the spot. This expression gained enormous currency with a 1930s advertising jingle, in which a popular soda was said to hit the spot. [Slang; mid-1800s]

Matching Quote

"If we could see ourselves as others see us, we would vanish on the spot."

-E.M. Cioran

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