spot

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   mark with a spot or spots so as to allow easy recognition

   spot the areas that one should clearly identify

2. 2
   verb

   become spotted

   This dress spots quickly

3. 3
   verb

   make a spot or mark onto

   The wine spotted the tablecloth

4. 4
   noun

   a business establishment for entertainment

   night spot

5. 5
   noun

   a playing card with a specified number of pips on it to indicate its value

   an eight-spot

6. 6
   noun

   a small contrasting part of something

   a bald spot

7. 7
   noun

   a section of an entertainment that is assigned to a specific performer or performance

   They changed my spot on the program!

8. 8
   noun

   a small piece or quantity of something

   a spot of tea

Etymology

From Middle English spot, spotte, partially from Middle Dutch spotte (“spot, speck”), and partially merging with Middle English splot, from Old English splott (“spot, plot of land”), from Proto-West Germanic *splott, from Proto-Germanic *spluttaz (“segment”), from Proto-Indo-European *splt-no- (“an off-split, segment”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pel- (“to split”). Cognate with North Frisian spot (“speck, piece of ground”), Low German spot (“speck”), Old Norse spotti (“small piece”). See also splot, splotch.