spot
[noun]
Synonyms:
- mark, blemish, blot, blotch, scar, smudge, speck, speckle, stain
- pimple, pustule, zit (slang)
- place, location, point, position, scene, site
- predicament, difficulty, hot water (informal), mess, plight, quandary, tight spot, trouble
[verb]
Synonyms:
- see, catch sight of, detect, discern, espy, make out, observe, recognize, sight
- mark, dirty, fleck, mottle, smirch, soil, spatter, speckle, splodge, splotch, stain

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Related Idioms: job slot
Related Words: scene, section, sector, blot, blotch, mottle, fleck, marble, streak, stripe, dot, pepper, speck, speckle, sprinkle, stipple, splash, dirty, soil, stain, intersperse, ascertain, see

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English Thesaurus: mark, spot, stain, smudge, smear, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. spot¹ S2 W2 /spɒt $ spɑːt/ noun [countable]
[Word Family: adjective: spotted, spotless, spotty; verb: spot; noun: spot; adverb: spotlessly]
[Date: 1100-1200; Origin: Perhaps from Middle Dutch spotte]

1. PLACE a particular place or area, especially a pleasant place where you spend time:
a nice quiet spot on the beach
I chose a spot well away from the road.
in a spot
a small cottage in an idyllic spot
on a spot
Why do they want to build a house on this particular spot?
the exact/same/very spot
the exact spot where the king was executed
spot for
an ideal spot for a picnic

2. AREA a usually round area on a surface that is a different colour or is rougher, smoother etc than the rest Synonym : patch:
a white cat with brown spots
spot of
Two spots of colour appeared in Jill’s cheeks.

3. MARK a small mark on something, especially one that is made by a liquid:
There was a big damp spot on the wall.
spot of
a few spots of blood

4. ON SKIN
a) a small round red area on someone’s skin that shows that they are ill:
He had a high fever and was covered in spots.
b) British English a small raised red mark on someone’s skin, especially on their face Synonym : pimple:
Becka was very self-conscious about her spots.

5. on the spot
a) if you do something on the spot, you do it immediately, often without thinking about it very carefully ⇒ on-the-spot:
He had to make a decision on the spot.
b) if you are on the spot, you are in the place where something is happening:
We ought to find out the views of the people on the spot.
c) British English if you walk, run, or jump on the spot, you do it staying in the same place, without moving around Synonym : in place American English:
If running outside doesn’t appeal, try jogging on the spot indoors.

6. put somebody on the spot to deliberately ask someone a question that is difficult or embarrassing to answer

7. TV/RADIO a short period of time when someone can speak or perform on radio or television:
He was given a 30-second spot just after the news.
a guest spot on ‘The Tonight Show’

8. POSITION a position in a list of things or in a competition:
The budget has a regular spot on the agenda.
in a spot
Manchester United are still in the top spot after today’s win.

9. weak spot
a) a point at which someone or something is not very good:
I carried on with my questions, sensing a weak spot in his story.
b) American English if someone has a weak spot for something, they like it very much:
I’ve always had a weak spot for chocolate.

10. tight spot informal a difficult situation:
This puts the chairman in a very tight spot.
I hope you can help get me out of a tight spot.

11. bright spot something that is good in a bad situation:
The computer industry is the one bright spot in the economy at the moment.
The only bright spot of the evening was when the food arrived.

12. a spot of something British English informal a small amount of something:
Do you fancy a spot of lunch?
I’ve been having a spot of bother (=some problems) with my car.

13. spots of rain British English a few drops of rain:
A few spots of rain began to fall.

14. five-spot/ten-spot etc American English spoken a piece of paper money worth five dollars, ten dollars etc
⇒ beauty spot, blackspot, blind spot, ⇒ change your spots at change¹(16), ⇒ G-spot, ⇒ high point/spot at high¹(12), ⇒ hit the spot at hit¹(28), ⇒ hot spot, ⇒ knock spots off at knock¹(19), ⇒ be rooted to the spot at root²(5), ⇒ have a soft spot for somebody at soft(16), ⇒ trouble spot

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. spot² S3 verb (past tense and past participle spotted, present participle spotting) [transitive]
[Word Family: adjective: spotted, spotless, spotty; verb: spot; noun: spot; adverb: spotlessly]

1. to notice someone or something, especially when they are difficult to see or recognize:
I spotted a police car behind us.
It can be hard for even a trained doctor to spot the symptoms of lung cancer.
spot somebody doing something
Meg spotted someone coming out of the building.
difficult/easy to spot
Drug addicts are fairly easy to spot.
spot that
One of the station staff spotted that I was in difficulty, and came to help.

2. be spotted with something to have small round marks or small pieces of something on the surface:
The windscreen was spotted with rain.

3. American English to give the other player in a game an advantage
spot somebody something
He spotted me six points and he still won.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. spot³ adjective [only before noun]
for buying or paying immediately, not at some future time:
They won’t take credit; they want spot cash.
He quoted us a spot price for the goods.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

spot
noun
I. small red mark on the skin
VERB + SPOT break out in The children all had measles, and had broken out in spots.
scratch, squeeze

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

spot
II. place/area
ADJ. exact, particular, precise | convenient, good, ideal, perfect, right, suitable Take the time to find the right spot to pitch your tent.
beautiful, beauty, idyllic, lovely, pleasant The lake is one of the local beauty spots.
favourite, popular a favourite spot for picnickers
deserted, desolate, isolated, lonely, remote | quiet, secluded | shady, sheltered | sunny | holiday, tourist | picnic | sore, tender | sensitive (often figurative) From his angry reply it was obvious that I had touched a sensitive spot.
vulnerable, weak Check your house for weak spots where a thief could get in.
blind (often figurative) I have a blind spot where jazz is concerned (= I don't understand it).
danger, trouble one of the world's major trouble spots
high, number one/two, etc., top The record quickly reached the number one spot in the charts.
bald He usually wears a hat to hide his bald spot.
VERB + SPOT mark On your map, X marks the spot where the race begins.
reach | be frozen/rooted to He stood rooted to the spot, unable to move.
PREP. on the ~ The fire brigade was on the spot within minutes.
PHRASES an accident black spot

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

spot
verb
ADV. quickly | easily Most of these fossils are too small to be easily spotted.
suddenly | eventually, finally
VERB + SPOT be difficult to, be easy to | fail to
PHRASES well spotted ‘There's parking space over the far side.’ ‘Well spotted!’

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

mark a dirty area on something that spoils its appearance:
The bark of the tree had made black marks on her trousers.
spot a small mark on something:
a grease spot on my shirt
stain a mark that is difficult to remove, especially one made by a dark liquid:
a wine stain on the tablecloth
blood stains
smudge a mark that is made when something touches against a surface:
There was a smudge of lipstick on his cheek.
He had a smudge of chalk on his jacket.
smear a mark that is made by a small amount of something spread across a surface:
The table had a smear of paint on the top.
fingerprint (also fingermark British English) a mark on the surface of something that is made by someone’s fingers:
The glass was covered with greasy fingerprints.
blemish a mark on your skin that spoils its appearance:
John grew a beard to hide the blemishes on his chin.
mole a small dark, sometimes raised, mark on your skin:
Some moles may become cancerous.
Helena found a mole on her arm which had definitely not been there before.
freckles small light brown marks on your skin, especially on your face but also on your arms, shoulders etc:
She had a light sprinkling of freckles across her nose.
birthmark a permanent mark on your skin that you have had since you were born:
There was a small birthmark on her left cheek.
bruise a purple or brown mark on your skin that you get because you have fallen or been hit:
Her legs were covered in cuts and bruises.
scar a permanent mark on your skin, caused by a cut or by something that burns you:
The injury left a small scar on his forehead.
pimple/zit (also spot British English) a small raised red mark or lump on your skin, which usually appears when a child is between 12 and 18 years old:
When I was a teenager I had terrible spots.
The boy had a few pimples under his chin.
wart a small hard raised mark on your skin caused by a virus:
His face was covered in hairy warts.
blister a small area of skin that is swollen and full of liquid because it has been rubbed or burned:
There was a blister on his arm where the boiling milk had splashed him.
rash an area of small red spots on your skin, caused by an illness or an allergy:
I can’t eat strawberries - they give me a rash.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

notice to realize that something is there or that something is happening, because you can see, hear, or feel it:
I noticed that he was rather quiet during dinner.
Children don’t seem to notice the cold.
‘Julie’s home.’ ‘Yes, I noticed her bicycle outside.’
detect to notice something that is difficult to see, hear etc because it is very small, faint, or unclear. Detect is used about people and machines, and is more formal than notice:
X-ray telescopes can now detect virtually every type of astronomical object.
He thought he detected a flicker of interest in her eyes.
spot to notice something, especially something that is difficult to see or that you see for a short time only. Spot is more informal than notice:
Can you spot the difference between these two pictures?
I’m glad you spotted the mistake before it was too late.
become aware/conscious to gradually begin to notice that something is happening or is true:
I became aware that Mum was getting a lot older.
Tessa became conscious of a feeling of guilt.
can tell to be able to notice something because you can see, smell, hear it etc:
I could tell that she had been drinking.
Can you tell I've lost weight?
something/somebody catches your eye used to say that you suddenly notice something or someone because they are interesting, attractive, or good at something:
I saw this shirt in the shop window and it just caught my eye.
Clarke caught the eye of boss Bryan Robson when he scored for Newry last week.
observe formal to notice something as a result of watching or studying it closely:
Psychologists observed that the mice became more aggressive in smaller cages.
perceive formal to notice something, especially that something is happening, or is true, or needs to be done:
The company quickly perceived the need for change.
Doctors perceive that they do not have adequate time to spend with their patients.
witness to see something happen because you are there at the time:
People have witnessed some great economic changes during the last ten years.
miss to not notice something because it is difficult to see:
It’s easy to miss the entrance – the sign is hidden behind a tree.
take notice (=pay attention to something)
I began to take notice when the subject of money came up.
take no notice/not take any notice (=ignore something or someone)
The other passengers took no notice of what was happening.
come to sb’s notice (=be noticed by someone)
This problem first came to our notice last summer.
escape sb’s notice (=not be noticed by someone)
It had not escaped his notice that Phil seemed interested in Jean.
bring something to sb’s notice (=tell someone about something)
It has been brought to my notice that employees are smoking in the restrooms.
attract notice (=be noticed by other people)
She didn’t want to attract notice, so she dressed very plainly.
give notice
To withdraw money from this type of savings account, you must give the bank 30 days’ notice.
serve notice formal (=warn someone about something)
They have served notice that they intend to take legal action against the company.
have/receive notice
If I’d had more notice, I could have done a better job.
need notice (also require notice formal)
The company requires a month’s notice of any holiday time you would like to take.
advance notice (also prior notice formal) (=given before an event)
We had no advance notice of the attack.
reasonable notice (=an amount that is considered to be fair to everyone)
Did you receive reasonable notice of the court case?
ten days’/three months’/five minutes’ etc notice
His contract said he must give three months’ notice if he decides to leave the job.
no notice
We received no notice of the changes.
at short notice (=without much time to prepare)
Thank you for coming to help at such short notice.
at a moment’s notice (=very quickly)
He’d be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
without notice
Trains may be cancelled without notice.
until further notice (=from now until you are told something else)
On the door was a sign: ‘Library closed until further notice’.
notice to quit British English (=a warning that you must leave the house or flat where you live by a particular date)
The new owner gave all the tenants notice to quit.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

place a point or area, especially one that you visit or use for a particular purpose:
He’s been to lots of places.
a good meeting place
position the exact place where someone or something is, in relation to other things:
She showed me the position of the village on the map.
I changed the position of the mirror slightly.
Jessica moved to a position where she could see the stage better.
point a particular place on a line or surface:
At this point the path gets narrower.
No cars are allowed beyond this point.
spot a place, especially a particular kind of place, or a place where something happens. Spot sounds rather informal:
She chose a sunny spot.
The area is a favourite spot for windsurfers.
This is the exact spot where I asked her to marry me.
location a place where someone or something is, or where something happens. Location sounds more formal than place:
your exact location
The prisoners were taken to an undisclosed location.
an ideal location for a winter break
site a place, especially one that will be used for a particular purpose, or where something important happened:
the site of a great battle
There are plans to develop the site for housing.
The area has become a dumping site for nuclear waste.
venue a place where something such as a meeting, concert, game etc takes place:
the venue for the next Olympic Games
The hotel is a popular wedding venue.
scene the place where something bad such as an accident or crime happened:
the scene of the crime
Ambulance crews were at the scene within minutes.
setting the place and the area around it, where something is or where something happens:
The hotel is in a beautiful setting.
the setting for the film ‘A Room With a View’
Beautiful gardens provide the perfect setting for outdoor dining.
somewhere used for talking about a place when you are not sure exactly which place:
She came from somewhere in London.
whereabouts the place where someone or something is – used especially when you do not know this or do not want to tell people:
The whereabouts of the painting is unknown.
He refused to disclose his whereabouts.
I’m not sure about her whereabouts.
put to move something to a particular place:
I’ve put the wine in the fridge.
Where have you put my grey shirt?
lay to put someone or something down carefully on a flat surface:
He laid all the money on the table.
She laid the baby on his bed.
slip to put something somewhere with a quick movement:
He slipped his arm around her waist.
Carrie quickly slipped the money into her bag.
shove to put something into a space or container quickly or carelessly:
Shove anything you don’t want in that sack.
I’ve ironed those shirts so don’t just shove them in a drawer.
stick (also bung British English) informal to put something somewhere quickly or carelessly:
I stuck the address in my pocket and I can’t find it now.
Could you bung those clothes in the washing machine?
dump to put something down somewhere in a careless and untidy way:
Don’t just dump all your bags in the kitchen.
People shouldn’t dump rubbish at the side of the street.
pop informal to quickly put something somewhere, usually for a short time:
Pop it in the microwave for a minute.
thrust literary to put something somewhere suddenly or forcefully:
‘Hide it,’ he said, thrusting the watch into her hand.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

see to notice something with your eyes, usually without planning to. Also used when saying that you watched a particular programme, film, game etc:
Have you seen my keys anywhere?
Did you see the basketball game last night?
look at somebody/something to keep your eyes pointed toward someone or something, especially someone or something that is not moving:
I looked at the map.
She was looking at him in a strange way.
notice to see something interesting or unusual:
I noticed a police car outside their house.
spot to suddenly see something, especially something you are looking for:
Nick spotted the advertisement in the paper.
catch sight of/catch a glimpse of (also glimpse formal) to suddenly see someone or something for a short time, usually not clearly:
I caught sight of him in the hotel lobby, and followed him out the door.
He glimpsed her face as she went into the courtroom.
make out somebody/something to see something, but only with difficulty:
Ahead, I could just make out the figure of a woman.
witness to see something happen, especially a crime or an accident:
The police are asking anyone who witnessed the attack to come forward.
observe formal to see and pay attention to something:
Officers observed him driving at 100 mph.
sight especially written to suddenly see something or someone from a long distance, especially when you have been looking for a long time:
The missing boys were sighted by a rescue helicopter.
The crew finally sighted land.
blind unable to see anything:
She has been blind from birth.
partially-sighted not able to see things very well, although not completely blind:
Good lighting can be very important for partially sighted people.
visually handicapped/impaired completely blind or not able to see very much – used especially in official reports, forms etc:
a special school for visually impaired children

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

sight something that you see:
A herd of elephants is a magnificent sight.
Even Charles cheered up at the sight of the food.
view the area you can see from a window or place, especially when it is beautiful:
The view from the top of the mountain is amazing.
The hotel has great views of Lake Windermere.
We had a good view of the firework display.
panorama an impressive view of a very large area that stretches a long way across in front of you:
a panorama of snow-covered hills and mountains
vista written a view of a large area of beautiful scenery – used in written descriptions:
The road around the island offers some spectacular vistas.
scene what you see in a place, especially where people are moving around and doing things:
Reporters described the horrific scenes which followed the bombing.
His pictures are mainly of local scenes.
spectacle something that you see that is very unusual, surprising, or strange:
It must have been an unusual spectacle.
I leaned over the balcony to get a look at the spectacle below.
visuals [plural] pictures or parts of a film, video etc that people can see, as opposed to the parts you can hear:
Good visuals will help keep your audience’s attention.
see to notice something with your eyes, usually without planning to. Also used when saying that you watched a particular programme, film, game etc:
Have you seen my keys anywhere?
Did you see the basketball game last night?
look at somebody/something to keep your eyes pointed toward someone or something, especially someone or something that is not moving:
I looked at the map.
She was looking at him in a strange way.
notice to see something interesting or unusual:
I noticed a police car outside their house.
spot to suddenly see something, especially something you are looking for:
Nick spotted the advertisement in the paper.
catch sight of/catch a glimpse of (also glimpse formal) to suddenly see someone or something for a short time, usually not clearly:
I caught sight of him in the hotel lobby, and followed him out the door.
He glimpsed her face as she went into the courtroom.
make out somebody/something to see something, but only with difficulty:
Ahead, I could just make out the figure of a woman.
witness to see something happen, especially a crime or an accident:
The police are asking anyone who witnessed the attack to come forward.
observe formal to see and pay attention to something:
Officers observed him driving at 100 mph.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

spot
spɔt
See: hit the high spots , hit the spot , johnny-on-the-spot , on the spot or upon the spot also in a spot , sore spot

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲