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12 dictionary results for: spot

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

spot

[spot] Pronunciation Key noun, verb, spot·ted, spot·ting, adjective

–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.

8.	spot announcement.

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.	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), esp. 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.

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

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.

—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,

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; (n.) ME spotte; c. MD, LG spot speck, ON spotti bit; (v.) late ME spotten to stain, mark, deriv. of the n.

]

—Related forms

spotlike, adjective

spot·ta·ble, adjective

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

spot (spŏt) Pronunciation Key
n.

A place of relatively small and definite limits.
1. A mark on a surface differing sharply in color from its surroundings.
2. A blemish, mark, or pimple on the skin.
3. A stain or blot.
4. A mark or pip on a playing card; a spade, club, diamond, or heart.
5. A playing card with a specified number of such marks on it indicating its value.
6. A location; a locale.
7. A point of interest: There are a lot of spots to visit in the old city.
8. A position or an item in an ordered arrangement.
Games
1. A mark or pip on a playing card; a spade, club, diamond, or heart.
2. A playing card with a specified number of such marks on it indicating its value.
3. A location; a locale.
4. A point of interest: There are a lot of spots to visit in the old city.
5. A position or an item in an ordered arrangement.
Informal A piece of paper money worth a specified number of dollars.
1. A location; a locale.
2. A point of interest: There are a lot of spots to visit in the old city.
3. A position or an item in an ordered arrangement.
Informal A situation, especially a troublesome one.
A flaw in one's reputation or character.
A short presentation or commercial on television or radio between major programs: a news spot.
Informal A spotlight.
pl. spot or spots A small croaker (Leiostomus xanthurus) of North American Atlantic waters, having a dark mark above each pectoral fin and valued as a food and sport fish.
Chiefly British A small amount; a bit.

v. spot·ted, spot·ting, spots

v. tr.

To cause a spot or spots to appear on, especially:
1. To soil with spots.
2. To decorate with spots; dot.
To harm; besmirch.
To place in a particular location; situate precisely.
To detect or discern, especially visually; spy.
To remove spots from, as in a laundry.
Sports To yield a favorable scoring margin to: spotted their opponents 11 points.
Sports To act as a spotter for (a gymnast, for example).
Informal To lend: Can you spot me $25 until payday?

v. intr.

To become marked with spots.
To cause a discoloration or make a stain.
To locate targets from the air during combat or training missions.

adj.

Made, paid, or delivered immediately: a spot sale.
Of, relating to, or being a market in which payment or delivery is immediate: the spot market in oil.
Involving random or selective instances or actions: a spot investigation.
Presented between major radio or television programs: a spot announcement.

[Middle English, from Old English.]

spot'ta·ble adj.

(Download Now or Buy the Book)
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
spot (n.)

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.

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
spot (v.)

c.1412, "to stain, sully, tarnish" from spot (n.). Sense of "to stain with spots" is attested from c.1440. Meaning "to see and recognize," is from 1718, originally colloquial and applied to a criminal or suspected person; the general sense is from 1860.

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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

spot
noun
1.	a point located with respect to surface features of some region; "this is a nice place for a picnic"; "a bright spot on a planet" [syn: topographic point]
2.	a short section or illustration (as between radio or tv programs or in a magazine) that is often used for advertising
3.	an outstanding characteristic; "his acting was one of the high points of the movie" [syn: point]
4.	a blemish made by dirt; "he had a smudge on his cheek" [syn: smudge]
5.	a small contrasting part of something; "a bald spot"; "a leopard's spots"; "a patch of clouds"; "patches of thin ice"; "a fleck of red"
6.	a section of an entertainment that is assigned to a specific performer or performance; "they changed his spot on the program"
7.	a business establishment for entertainment; "night spot"
8.	a job in an organization; "he occupied a post in the treasury" [syn: position]
9.	a slight attack of illness; "he has a touch of rheumatism" [syn: touch]
10.	a small piece or quantity of something; "a spot of tea"; "a bit of paper"; "a bit of lint"; "I gave him a bit of my mind"
11.	a mark on a die or on a playing card (shape depending on the suit)
12.	a lamp that produces a strong beam of light to illuminate a restricted area; used to focus attention of a stage performer [syn: spotlight]
13.	a playing card with a specified number of pips on it to indicate its value; "an eight-spot"
14.	an act that brings discredit to the person who does it; "he made a huge blot on his copybook" [syn: blot]
verb
1.	catch sight of [syn: descry]
2.	detect with the senses; "The fleeing convicts were picked out of the darkness by the watchful prison guards"; "I can't make out the faces in this photograph"
3.	mar or impair with a flaw; "her face was blemished" [syn: blemish]
4.	make a spot or mark onto; "The wine spotted the tablecloth"
5.	become spotted; "This dress spots quickly"
6.	mark with a spot or spots so as to allow easy recognition; "spot the areas that one should clearly identify"

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American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This

spot

see blind spot; hit the high spots; hit the spot; in a bind (tight spot); in a fix (spot); Johnny-on-the-spot; knock the socks (spots) off; leopard cannot change its spots; on the spot; rooted to the spot; soft spot; x marks the spot.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

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American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

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.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Spot

Spot\, a. Lit., being on the spot, or place; hence (Com.), on hand for immediate delivery after sale; -- said of commodities; as, spot wheat.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Spot

Spot\, n. [Cf. Scot. & D. spat, Dan. spette, Sw. spott spittle, slaver; from the root of E. spit. See Spit to eject from the mouth, and cf. Spatter.]

1. A mark on a substance or body made by foreign matter; a blot; a place discolored.

Out, damned spot! Out, I say! --Shak.

2. A stain on character or reputation; something that soils purity; disgrace; reproach; fault; blemish.

Yet Chloe, sure, was formed without a spot. --Pope.

3. A small part of a different color from the main part, or from the ground upon which it is; as, the spots of a leopard; the spots on a playing card.

4. A small extent of space; a place; any particular place. "Fixed to one spot." --Otway.

That spot to which I point is Paradise. --Milton.

"A jolly place," said he, "in times of old! But something ails it now: the spot is cursed." --Wordsworth.

5. (Zo["o]l.) A variety of the common domestic pigeon, so called from a spot on its head just above its beak.

6. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A sci[ae]noid food fish (Liostomus xanthurus) of the Atlantic coast of the United States. It has a black spot behind the shoulders and fifteen oblique dark bars on the sides. Called also goody, Lafayette, masooka, and old wife. (b) The southern redfish, or red horse, which has a spot on each side at the base of the tail. See Redfish.

7. pl. Commodities, as merchandise and cotton, sold for immediate delivery. [Broker's Cant]

Crescent spot (Zo["o]l.), any butterfly of the family Melit[ae]id[ae] having crescent-shaped white spots along the margins of the red or brown wings.

Spot lens (Microscopy), a condensing lens in which the light is confined to an annular pencil by means of a small, round diaphragm (the spot), and used in dark-field ilumination; -- called also spotted lens.

Spot rump (Zo["o]l.), the Hudsonian godwit (Limosa h[ae]mastica).

Spots on the sun. (Astron.) See Sun spot, ander Sun.

On, or Upon, the spot, immediately; before moving; without changing place.

It was determined upon the spot. --Swift.

Syn: Stain; flaw; speck; blot; disgrace; reproach; fault; blemish; place; site; locality.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Spot

Spot\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spotted; p. pr. & vb. n. Spotting.]

1. To make visible marks upon with some foreign matter; to discolor in or with spots; to stain; to cover with spots or figures; as, to spot a garnment; to spot paper.

2. To mark or note so as to insure recognition; to recognize; to detect; as, to spot a criminal. [Cant]

3. To stain; to blemish; to taint; to disgrace; to tarnish, as reputation; to asperse.

My virgin life no spotted thoughts shall stain. --Sir P. Sidney.

If ever I shall close these eyes but once, May I live spotted for my perjury. --Beau. & Fl.

To spot timber, to cut or chip it, in preparation for hewing.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Spot

Spot\, v. i. To become stained with spots.

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American Heritage Abbreviations Dictionary 3rd Edition - Cite This Source - Share This

SPOT
satellite positioning and tracking