From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
spot
n 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, place, spot]
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, spot]
4: a blemish made by dirt; "he had a smudge on his cheek" [syn:
smudge, spot, blot, daub, smear, smirch, slur]
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" [syn: spot, speckle, dapple, patch,
fleck, maculation]
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, post, berth, office,
spot, billet, place, situation]
9: a slight attack of illness; "he has a touch of rheumatism"
[syn: touch, spot]
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" [syn: spot, bit]
11: a mark on a die or on a playing card (shape depending on the
suit) [syn: spot, pip]
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, spot]
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, smear,
smirch, spot, stain]
v 1: catch sight of [syn: descry, spot, espy, spy]
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" [syn: spot, recognize,
recognise, distinguish, discern, pick out, {make
out}, tell apart]
3: mar or impair with a flaw; "her face was blemished" [syn:
blemish, spot]
4: make a spot or mark onto; "The wine spotted the tablecloth"
[syn: spot, fleck, blob, blot]
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"
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Spot \Spot\ (sp[o^]t), 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.
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Out, damned spot! Out, I say! --Shak.
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2. A stain on character or reputation; something that soils
purity; disgrace; reproach; fault; blemish.
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Yet Chloe, sure, was formed without a spot. --Pope.
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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.
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4. A small extent of space; a place; any particular place.
"Fixed to one spot." --Otway.
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That spot to which I point is Paradise. --Milton.
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"A jolly place," said he, "in times of old!
But something ails it now: the spot is cursed."
--Wordsworth.
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5. (Zool.) A variety of the common domestic pigeon, so called
from a spot on its head just above its beak.
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6. (Zool.)
(a) A sciaenoid 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.
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7. pl. Commodities, as merchandise and cotton, sold for
immediate delivery. [Broker's Cant]
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Crescent spot (Zool.), any butterfly of the family
Melitaeidae 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
illumination; -- called also spotted lens.
Spot rump (Zool.), the Hudsonian godwit ({Limosa
haemastica}).
Spots on the sun. (Astron.) See Sun spot, ander Sun.
On the spot, or Upon the spot, immediately; before
moving; without changing place; as, he made his decision
on the spot.
It was determined upon the spot. --Swift.
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Syn: Stain; flaw; speck; blot; disgrace; reproach; fault;
blemish; place; site; locality.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
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 garment; to spot paper.
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2. To mark or note so as to insure recognition; to recognize;
to detect; as, to spot a criminal. [Cant]
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3. To stain; to blemish; to taint; to disgrace; to tarnish,
as reputation; to asperse.
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My virgin life no spotted thoughts shall stain.
--Sir P.
Sidney.
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If ever I shall close these eyes but once,
May I live spotted for my perjury. --Beau. & Fl.
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To spot timber, to cut or chip it, in preparation for
hewing.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Spot \Spot\, v. i.
To become stained with spots.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Spot \Spot\ (sp[o^]t), a.
Lit., being on the spot, or place; hence (Com.), on hand for
immediate delivery after sale; -- said of commodities; as,
spot wheat.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]