Spot (Verb)
Meaning 1
Make a spot or mark onto; "The wine spotted the tablecloth".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- Fresh paint spotted the old concrete wall as the worker struggled to contain it.
- The careless drizzle of morning coffee spotted my new white shirt.
- A splatter of mud spotted the once pristine carpet.
- Her careless brushstroke spotted the painting with colors she didn't intend to use.
- A broken pen spotted the pages of her notebook with permanent ink.
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Meaning 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".
Classification
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling.
Examples
- She was able to spot the tiny error in the contract that others missed.
- I couldn't spot my relatives in the huge crowd of people at the airport.
- By using special equipment, researchers were able to spot several endangered species in the vast wilderness area.
- Using her experienced eye, the art dealer was able to spot a forgery from a great distance.
- The surveillance camera helped the authorities spot the suspect's car speeding away from the scene of the crime.
Synonyms
Meaning 3
Catch sight of.
Classification
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling.
Examples
- I managed to spot the famous actor hiding behind sunglasses in the crowd.
- She was able to spot the small bird perched on the thin branch of the tree.
- He tried to spot any signs of wildlife during his hike through the forest.
- As we walked through the market, I spotted a stall selling my favorite snack.
- From the hilltop, she could spot the entire town and the surrounding landscape.
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Meaning 4
Become spotted; "This dress spots quickly".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- This white shirt spots easily when it comes into contact with dark-colored ink.
- Grey clothing tends to spot more noticeably than darker colors.
- Leather shoes are known to spot in heavy rain.
- Her favourite apron spots whenever she cooks greasy food.
- If you don't treat these wine stains promptly, the carpet is sure to spot.
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Meaning 5
Mar or impair with a flaw; "her face was blemished".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The scandal would spot her otherwise flawless reputation forever.
- Her fair complexion was suddenly spot by a painful rash.
- Their otherwise perfect record was spot by a single loss.
- Her health was spot by the terminal illness that had suddenly afflicted her.
- A faint scar would forever spot an otherwise unblemished skin.
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Meaning 6
Mark with a spot or spots so as to allow easy recognition; "spot the areas that one should clearly identify".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The forensics team used paint to spot the areas where the accident occurred for further investigation.
- The border guards were trained to spot the identification signs of suspicious individuals.
- She was able to spot the invasive plant species in her garden and took steps to eradicate it.
- Traffic authorities used signs to spot the locations of surveillance cameras along the highway.
- Researchers used tags to spot the particular cells that were affected by the disease.