# spot

Pronunciation: say "SPOT" US /spɑt/, UK /spɒt/

## Noun

1. A particular place or area, often one chosen for a specific purpose.
   - Simple: A particular place or area.
   - _The fishermen returned to their favorite spot at dawn._
   - _She picked a sunny spot in the garden for the new bench._
3. A position held or open in a ranking, team, contest, list, or schedule.
   - Simple: A position in a ranking, team, contest, list, or schedule.
   - _The win lifted the team to the third spot in the league standings._
   - _Only two spots remain in Saturday's pottery workshop, so sign up soon._
4. A round or irregular patch on a surface that differs in color or texture from what surrounds it.
   - Simple: A small mark or patch on a surface that differs in color or feel from the area around it.
   - _A faded spot showed where the painting had hung for years._
   - _The ladybug's wings were marked with neat black spots._
5. An unwanted dirty or disfiguring mark, such as a stain from a spill, that spoils how something looks.
   - Simple: A dirty mark or stain that spoils how something looks.
   - _A rust spot had appeared on the bottom of the door._
   - _The old book was covered in brown spots from damp storage._
6. A space where a vehicle can be parked.
   - Simple: A place where you can park a vehicle.
   - _Every spot in the garage was taken by nine o'clock._
   - _He paid extra for a reserved spot close to his office._
8. A difficult or awkward situation.
   - Simple: A hard or tricky situation.
   - _The unexpected bill left the family in a tough spot._
   - _Missing the deadline put the whole team in a difficult spot._
11. A small, unspecified amount or quantity of something.
   - Simple: A small amount of something.
   - _After a spot of lunch, they continued the long hike._
   - _We ran into a spot of trouble on the way home._
10. A brief advertisement or short program segment broadcast on television or radio. *(US)*
   - Simple: A short ad or program segment on TV or radio.
   - _The agency produced a clever new spot for the holiday campaign._
   - _Local businesses often buy cheaper spots during late-night programming._
12. A pimple or small inflamed mark on the skin.
   - Simple: A small raised mark on the skin, like a pimple.
   - _He covered the spot on his forehead with a little cream._
   - _Greasy food seemed to bring out spots on his face._
16. A bright lamp that directs a focused beam onto a particular area; a spotlight.
   - Simple: A strong light that shines on one place, like a stage light.
   - _The crew adjusted the spot to follow the dancer across the floor._
   - _Several spots illuminated the statue during the evening ceremony._
18. The marked point on a soccer field from which a penalty kick is taken.
   - Simple: The marked point on a soccer field where a player takes a penalty kick.
   - _The referee pointed to the spot after the defender's foul in the box._
   - _He buried the penalty from the spot, sending the keeper the wrong way._
21. The act of noticing or catching sight of something.
   - Simple: The act of seeing or noticing something, often quickly.
   - _Thanks for catching that mistake in the contract before we signed it; that was a really good spot._
   - _That was a brilliant spot by the editor, who caught an error everyone else missed._
22. A mark on a playing card, domino, or die that indicates its value; a pip.
   - Simple: One of the marks on dice, dominoes, or cards that shows a number.
   - _He counted the spots on the dice before moving his piece._
   - _The old die was so worn that you could barely make out the single spot on its top face._
23. The person who stands by someone doing a lift, stunt or move, ready to support or catch them if it goes wrong; a spotter.
   - Simple: A person who stands ready to catch or steady someone doing a risky move.
   - _Before attempting a new max on the bench, always make sure you have a spot standing behind you, ready to grab the bar._
   - _When a stranger at the gym asks you for a spot, stand behind the bench and keep your hands close to the bar._
24. In sports, an official's determination of where something is placed, such as the position of the ball after a play.
   - Simple: In sports, the exact place an official marks, such as where a ball is put down.
   - _The official's spot gave the team a first down by inches._
   - _A video replay confirmed the spot at the twenty-yard line._
25. Any of the marked points on a snooker, pool, or billiards table from which certain balls are played.
   - Simple: A marked point on a pool or snooker table where a ball is placed.
   - _After being potted, the colored ball is returned to its spot._
   - _She lined up the cue ball with the spot before breaking._
27. In pool, any of the balls marked with a spot that one player aims to pot, while the opponent plays the striped balls.
   - Simple: In pool, one of the balls a player must pot while the other player aims for the striped balls.
   - _She cleared all her spots and lined up the eight ball._
   - _After potting his first spot, he was committed to the solids for the rest of the frame._

## Verb

2. To pick out, notice, or identify someone or something, often with effort or sharp attention.
   - Simple: To see or notice someone or something, often suddenly.
   - _The guard spotted the intruder on the security camera._
   - _Trained inspectors can spot a flaw that others would miss._
7. To mark, stain or cover something with spots; figuratively, to stain a reputation.
   - Simple: To make small marks or dirty spots on something.
   - _Splashes of paint had spotted the wooden floor._
   - _Even a few drops of bleach will spot dark jeans with pale marks that never wash out._
13. To lend someone a small sum of money. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: To lend someone a small amount of money.
   - _Spot me twenty bucks and I'll pay you back tomorrow._
   - _A buddy spotted him the cover charge at the door._
14. To let an opponent begin a game or contest with an advantage, such as extra points or a head start. *(colloquial, US)*
   - Simple: To give the person you play against something extra at the start, like points or a head start.
   - _I'll spot you two strokes a hole and still beat you._
   - _The chess champion spotted her young opponent a rook and won anyway._
15. To support or assist someone performing a maneuver, staying ready to step in if safety requires.
   - Simple: To stand ready to help and protect someone doing a hard or risky move.
   - _Two teammates spot the lifter during her final attempt._
   - _He spotted the climber from below as she worked the boulder problem._
19. To remove, or try to remove, a stain from a surface.
   - Simple: To remove, or try to remove, stains from cloth or another surface.
   - _Grandma always kept a bottle of club soda handy for spotting the tablecloth after big family dinners._
   - _Most dry cleaners spot the worst stains with special solvents before the whole garment goes into the machine._
20. To pass small amounts of blood from the vagina, especially outside of normal menstruation.
   - Simple: To lose small amounts of blood from the vagina.
   - _Many patients spot during the first trimester without complications._
   - _She began to spot a week before her period was due._
26. To place a ball back on a marked point on a billiards or snooker table, usually its own designated spot.
   - Simple: To put a ball back on a marked point on the table, usually its own.
   - _After the foul, the referee spots the colored ball on its mark._
   - _While reds remain on the table, the referee must spot each colored ball again after it is potted._
28. To focus on a point while turning, quickly rotating the head to regain that point during each revolution.
   - Simple: To keep looking at one point while spinning, turning your head fast to find it again, so you don't get dizzy.
   - _Ballet students learn to spot a mark on the far wall during fouetté turns._
   - _She spotted the doorway through each rotation to stay oriented._

## Adjective

9. Exact and precise; completely accurate. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Exactly correct or right.
   - _Her estimate of the repair bill turned out to be spot on, right down to the last few dollars._
   - _The skydiver made a spot landing right in the center of the target._
17. Bought or sold for immediate payment and delivery, rather than at a set future date.
   - Simple: Paid for and handed over right away, not at a later date.
   - _Refiners often buy crude oil at the spot price when supplies run short._
   - _The exporter settled the deal at the spot rate quoted that morning._

## Other meanings

- (verb) To retouch a photographic print or film by hand to remove minor flaws such as dust marks.
- (verb) To prepare an aircraft for a catapult launch by placing it in the required position on an aircraft carrier's deck.
- (noun) A banknote worth five or ten dollars.
- (noun) A breed of fancy pigeon named for the colored patch on the crown, near where the bill begins.
- (noun) A small drum fish of the eastern US seaboard, Leiostomus xanthurus, eaten as food and recognized by a dark blotch near the gill cover.
- (noun) Another name for the red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, a game fish with a dark blotch near the base of its tail on each side.
- (noun) Goods such as cotton or other merchandise traded for delivery right away rather than at a future date.
- (noun) In physics, a self-sustaining localized pattern that forms in a medium kept out of equilibrium, also called an autosoliton.
- (noun) The dot that separates whole numbers from decimal fractions.
- (verb) To rain lightly, with a few drops falling here and there, as when rain is just starting.
- (verb) To make notches along a log so that it can then be squared with an axe.
- (verb) In snooker and similar games, of a ball, to have its marked position on the table free so it can be put back there.
- (verb) To move a railroad car or engine to an exact place set in advance, such as a loading dock.

## Origin

From Middle English 'spot', partly from Middle Dutch 'spotte' (spot, speck) and partly merging with Old English 'splott' (spot, plot of land). This traces back through Proto-Germanic to a root meaning 'to split', and it is related to Old Norse 'spotti' (small piece).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/spot (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).