on the spot
ðəˌspɒt, ˈɔn-Dictionary.com Unabridged
noun
1.
a rounded mark or stain made by foreign matter, as mud, blood, paint, ink, etc.; a blot or speck.
2.
something that mars one's character or reputation; blemish; flaw.
3.
a small blemish, mole, or lesion on the skin or other surface.
4.
a small, circumscribed mark caused by disease, allergic reaction, decay, etc.
5.
a comparatively small, usually roundish, part of a surface differing from the rest in color, texture, character, etc.: a bald spot.
6.
a place or locality: A monument marks the spot where Washington slept.
7.
Usually, spots. places of entertainment or sightseeing interest: We went to a few spots to dance and see the floor shows.
9.
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.
a.
one of various traditional, geometric drawings of a club, diamond, heart, or spade on a playing card for indicating suit and value.
b.
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.
a small quantity of anything.
b.
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.
18.
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.
28.
Military.
a.
to determine (a location) precisely on either the ground or a map.
b.
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?
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
Idioms 36.
Radio, Television.
a.
pertaining to the point of origin of a local broadcast.
b.
broadcast between announced programs.
37.
made, paid, delivered, etc., at once: a spot sale; spot goods.
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.
42.
on the spot,
a.
without delay; at once; instantly.
b.
at the very place in question.
c.
in a difficult or embarrassing position.
d.
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
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.
2. taint, stigma. 6. locale, site, situation. 21. stain, taint, stigmatize, soil, tarnish. 22. speckle.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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|
Link To on the spot
00:10
On the spot
is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
spot (spɒt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —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
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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.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
spot (spŏt)
n.
A mark on a surface differing sharply in color from its surroundings.
A stain or blot.
To lose a slight amount of blood through the vagina.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Slang Dictionary
spot definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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spot (so) ( (sth) definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage
Abbreviations & Acronyms
| SPOT satellite positioning and tracking |
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
on the spot
-
At once, without delay, as in When the boss learned Tom had been lying, he fired him on the spot. This usage suggests that one does not have time to move away from a particular spot. [Late 1600s]
-
At the scene of action, as in Whenever there's a bad accident or fire, you can be sure the station will have a reporter on the spot. This usage also employs spot in the sense of "a particular location." [Late 1600s]
-
Under pressure or in trouble, as in He's on the spot, because he can't pay back the loan. It is also phrased as put on the spot, meaning "put under pressure." For example, The reporter's question put her on the spot; she didn't want to lie or to admit her part in the scandal. [First half of 1900s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Nearby Words
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