spot

noun

1. A round or irregular patch on the surface of a thing having a different color, texture etc. and generally round in shape.

   “The leopard is noted for the spots of color in its fur.”

   “Why do ladybugs have spots?”

2. A stain or disfiguring mark.

   “I have tried everything, and I can’t get this spot out.”

3. A pimple, papule or pustule.

   “That morning, I saw that a spot had come up on my chin.”

   “I think she's got chicken pox; she's covered in spots.”

4. A symbol on a playing card, domino, die, etc. indicating its value; a pip.
5. A small, unspecified amount or quantity.

   “Do come 'round on Sunday for a spot of tea, won't you?”

6. (US, slang)A bill of five-dollar or ten-dollar denomination in dollars.

   “Here's the twenty bucks I owe you, a ten spot and two five spots.”

7. A location or area.

   “I like to eat lunch in a pleasant spot outside.”

   “For our anniversary we went back to the same spot where we first met.”

   “That spot to which I point is Paradise.”

   “"A jolly place," said he, "in times of old! / But something ails it now: the spot is curs'd."”

   “Yachvilli made it 6-0 with a second sweet strike from 45 metres after Matt Stevens was penalised for collapsing a scrum, and then slid another penalty just wide from the same spot.”

8. A parking space.

   “Del Valle has the blessing of a garage, so he doesn't have to claim “dibs” on shoveled street spots himself, he said.”

9. An official determination of placement.

   “The fans were very unhappy with the referee's spot of the ball.”

10. A bright lamp; a spotlight.
11. (US)A brief advertisement or program segment on television.

    “Did you see the spot on the news about the shoelace factory?”

12. A difficult situation.

    “She was in a real spot when she ran into her separated husband while on a date.”

13. One who spots (supports or assists a maneuver, or is prepared to assist if safety dictates); a spotter.
14. Penalty spot.

    “The Gunners dominated for long periods but, against the run of play, Denilson fouled Max Gradel and Robert Snodgrass put Leeds ahead from the spot.”

15. The act of spotting or noticing something.

    “You've misspelled "terrapin" here. —Whoops. Good spot.”

16. A variety of the common domestic pigeon, so called from a spot on its head just above the beak.
17. A food fish (Leiostomus xanthurus) of the Atlantic coast of the United States, with a black spot behind the shoulders and fifteen oblique dark bars on the sides.
18. The southern redfish, or red horse (Sciaenops ocellatus), which has a spot on each side at the base of the tail.
19. (dated, in-plural)Commodities, such as merchandise and cotton, sold for immediate delivery.
20. An autosoliton.
21. A decimal point; point.

    “Twelve spot two five pounds sterling.”

22. Any of various points marked on the table, from which balls are played, in snooker, pool, billiards, etc.
23. Any of the balls marked with spots in the game of pool, which one player aims to pot, the other player taking the stripes.
24. (Australia, New-Zealand)An alcoholic drink.

    “‘It's a time since I saw you, Chris. What about a spot?’”

    “To be lured into his shop for a convivial spot was disastrous.”

verb

1. (transitive)To see, find; to pick out, notice, locate, distinguish or identify.

   “Try to spot the differences between these two pictures.”

   “The campaign aimed to give commuters the confidence to trust their own instincts and intervene if they spot someone vulnerable who may be at risk of suicide, and to talk to them to interrupt their suicidal thoughts.”

   “Taiwan’s gold discovery can be traced back to 1890 during construction of the railroad between Keelung and Taipei. Workers on the project spotted gold sediments on the banks of the Keelung River between Chitu and Patu.”

2. (US, ditransitive, slang)To loan a small amount of money to someone.

   “I’ll spot you ten dollars for lunch.”

   ““It’s close to payday, but you’re welcome to what I have. Maybe Wickliffe can spot me a few.””

3. (ambitransitive)To stain; to leave a spot (on).

   “Hard water will spot if it is left on a surface.”

   “a garment spotted with mould”

4. (transitive)To cover with spots, to speckle.

   “No palm-tree rose to spot the wilderness; […]”

   “[…] many ships spotting the dark blue deep / With snowy sails, fled fast as ours came nigh, […]”

   “[…] Amid lanes and through old woods, where lately the violets peep’d from the ground, spotting the gray debris, […]”

5. To experience vaginal spotting; to expel blood from the vagina.

   “"If you've got regular periods with an IUD that's fine, but if you're starting to spot or get quite a regular loss, then it should be carefully investigated." (Last)”

6. (dialectal)To rain slightly, in scattered, infrequent drops, for example when first beginning to rain.

   “And it is beginning to spot with rain. I must start work on a shelter.”

   “[…] thunder growled as if to confirm his prediction. Rain was beginning to spot as he kissed me in parting. I had to hurry back to the Assembly Rooms to avoid a soaking.”

7. (transitive)To remove, or attempt to remove, a stain.

   “I spotted the carpet where the child dropped spaghetti.”

8. (transitive)To retouch a photograph on film to remove minor flaws.
9. (transitive)To support or assist a maneuver, or to be prepared to assist if safety dictates.

   “I can’t do a back handspring unless somebody spots me.”

   “There had not been time to build handrails, so lines of women spotted the sides of the ramp.”

10. (transitive)To keep the head and eyes pointing in a single direction while turning.

    “Most figure skaters do not spot their turns like dancers do.”

11. (transitive)To stain; to blemish; to taint; to disgrace; to tarnish, as reputation.

    “Link not me in self same chain / With the wicked-working folk, / Who their spotted thoughts do cloak.”

    “If ever I shall close these eyes but once, / May I live spotted for my perjury.”

12. (transitive)To cut or chip (timber) in preparation for hewing.
13. (transitive)To place (an object) at a location indicated by a spot.

    “The referee had to spot the pink on the blue spot.”

14. (intransitive)Of a ball, to be capable of being placed on its own spot.

    “The black ball won't spot – the green is in the way.”

15. (transitive)To position (an aircraft) on the deck of an aircraft carrier ready for launch by catapult.

    “The aircraft is spotted on the catapult, and the console operator turns the crank to FIRST READY, causing the exhaust valve to close.”

    “This spotting order varies from carrier to carrier to suit the flight-deck layout. Certain aircraft must be spotted in a specific location to permit servicing, loading of ammunition, starting, maintenance, and so forth.”

16. (transitive)To position (a locomotive or car) at a predetermined point, e.g., for loading or unloading.

adj

1. (not-comparable)Available on the spot; for immediate payment or delivery.

   “spot wheat”

   “spot cash”

   “a spot contract”

2. (informal, not-comparable)Exact; precise.

   “The other bus meets yours at the intersection within one minute; it's a spot connection, and you might not make it.”

name

1. A popular given name for a dog