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spot
spot / spät/ • n. 1. a small round or roundish mark, differing in color or texture from the surface around it: ladybugs have black spots on their red wing covers. ∎ a small mark or stain: a spot of mildew on the wall. ∎ a pimple. ∎ archaic a moral blemish or stain. ∎ a pip on a domino, playing card, or die. ∎ [in comb.] inf. a banknote of a specified value: a ten-spot. 2. a particular place or point: a nice secluded spot an ideal picnic spot. ∎ a small feature or part of something with a particular quality: his bald spot there was one bright spot in a night of dismal failure. ∎ a position within a listing; a ranking: the runner-up spot. ∎ Sports an advantage allowed to a player as a handicap. ∎ a place for an individual item within a show: she couldn't do her usual singing spot in the club. 3. inf., chiefly Brit. a small amount of something: a spot of rain. 4. [as adj.] denoting a system of trading in which commodities or currencies are delivered and paid for immediately after a sale: trading in the spot markets the current spot price. 5. short for spotlight. • v. (spot·ted , spot·ting ) 1. [tr.] see, notice, or recognize (someone or something) that is difficult to detect or that one is searching for: Andrew spotted the ad in the paper the men were spotted by police. ∎ (usu. be spotted) recognize that (someone) has a particular talent, esp. for sports or show business: we were spotted by a talent scout. ∎ [intr.] Mil. locate an enemy's position, typically from the air: they were spotting for enemy aircraft. 2. [tr.] (usu. be spotted) mark with spots: the velvet was spotted with stains. ∎ [intr.] become marked with spots: a damp atmosphere causes the flowers to spot. ∎ cover (a surface or area) thinly: thorn trees spotted the land. ∎ archaic stain or sully the moral character or qualities of. 3. [tr.] place (a billiard ball or football) on its designated starting point. 4. inf. give or lend (money) to (someone): I'll spot you $300. ∎ allow (an advantage) to (someone) in a game or sport: the higher-rated team spots the lower-rated team the difference in their handicaps. 5. [tr.] observe or assist (a gymnast) during a performance in order to minimize the chance of injury to the gymnast. PHRASES: hit the spot inf. be exactly what is required: the cup of coffee hit the spot. in a spot inf. in a difficult situation. on the spot 1. without any delay; immediately: he offered me the job on the spot. 2. at the scene of an action or event: journalists on the spot reported no progress. put someone on the spot inf. force someone into a situation in which they must make a difficult decision or answer a difficult question. |
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Cite this article
"spot." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "spot." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-spot.html "spot." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-spot.html |
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spot
spot moral stain XII; small roundish mark XIII; small piece or particle; small plot or area XIV. perh. — MDu. spotte, LG. spot, corr. to ON. spotti small piece, bit, obscurely rel. to OE. splott spot, plot of land (cf. g̣esplottod spotted, and rare ME. splotti adj.).
Hence spot vb. XV. spotted (-ED2) XIII, spotty (-Y1) XIV). |
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T. F. HOAD. "spot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "spot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-spot.html T. F. HOAD. "spot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-spot.html |
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SPOT
SPOT (Système Probatoire d'Observation de la Terre) A series of five French observation satellites, launched between 1986 and 2002, that scan a surface track 67 km wide with 20 m multispectral and 10 m monospectral resolution.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "SPOT." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "SPOT." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-SPOT.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "SPOT." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-SPOT.html |
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SPOT
SPOT (Système Probatoire d'Observation de la Terre) A French observation satellite, launched in 1986, which transmits data yielding monochrome, stereoscopic images with a 10m resolution, superior to those from Landsat.
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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "SPOT." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "SPOT." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-SPOT.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "SPOT." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-SPOT.html |
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spot
spot v. locate an enemy's position, typically from the air: they were spotting for enemy aircraft.
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"spot." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "spot." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-spot.html "spot." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-spot.html |
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spot
spot fish: see croaker . |
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"spot." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "spot." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-spot.html "spot." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-spot.html |
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spot
spot
•allot, begot, Bernadotte, blot, bot, capot, clot, cocotte, cot, culotte, dot, forgot, garrotte (US garrote), gavotte, got, grot, hot, jot, knot, lot, Mayotte, motte, not, Ott, outshot, plot, pot, rot, sans-culotte, Scot, Scott, shallot, shot, slot, snot, sot, spot, squat, stot, swat, swot, tot, trot, twat, undershot, Wat, Watt, what, wot, yacht
•robot • hotshot • peridot • microdot
•Wyandot • polka dot • fylfot • mascot
•Caldecott • carrycot • apricot
•boycott • dovecote • sandlot • melilot
•polyglot • Camelot • ocelot
•monoglot • sub-plot • Lancelot
•cachalot • counterplot • Wilmot
•guillemot • motmot • bergamot
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"spot." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "spot." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-spot.html "spot." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-spot.html |
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SPOT
SPOT single property ownership trust
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FRAN ALEXANDER , PETER BLAIR , JOHN DAINTITH , ALICE GRANDISON , VALERIE ILLINGWORTH , ELIZABETH MARTIN , ANNE STIBBS , JUDY PEARSALL , and SARA TULLOCH. "SPOT." The Oxford Dictionary of Abbreviations. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. FRAN ALEXANDER , PETER BLAIR , JOHN DAINTITH , ALICE GRANDISON , VALERIE ILLINGWORTH , ELIZABETH MARTIN , ANNE STIBBS , JUDY PEARSALL , and SARA TULLOCH. "SPOT." The Oxford Dictionary of Abbreviations. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O25-SPOT.html FRAN ALEXANDER , PETER BLAIR , JOHN DAINTITH , ALICE GRANDISON , VALERIE ILLINGWORTH , ELIZABETH MARTIN , ANNE STIBBS , JUDY PEARSALL , and SARA TULLOCH. "SPOT." The Oxford Dictionary of Abbreviations. 1998. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O25-SPOT.html |
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