spottingn.

Brit.

/ˈspɒtɪŋ/, U.S.

/ˈspɑdɪŋ/

Forms: see spot v. and -ing suffix¹.

Origin: Formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: spot v., -ing suffix¹.

Etymology: < spot v. + -ing suffix¹.

1. The action of discrediting or besmirching a person's name or reputation; moral or spiritual corruption. Now rare.

ΚΠ

a1439 J. Lydgate Fall of Princes (Bodl. 263) iii. l. 3016 (MED) It was heer couenable, To mor rebuk and spottyng off his name, Newe to reherse his sclaundre & his diffame.

c1450 tr. G. Deguileville Pilgrimage Lyfe Manhode (Cambr.) (1869) 100 That keepeth him from sinne and from spottinge of rust.

1537 tr. Erasmus Expos. xv. Psalme sig. E.viii Scripture doth calle all synne spottes. Nowe do all spottyng remayne in y^e hart.

a1555 J. Bradford Writings (1848) (modernized text) I. 250 Though the works of the Spirit in them be something spotted, yet is not that spotting imputed or laid to their charge for the covenant's sake, which God hath made with him in the blood of Christ.

1629 A. Top Bk. Prayses (new ed.) ii. lxiv. sig. O1^v The most holy and precious service of the wicked is, the maiming, spotting and staining of all integrity, syncerity, and soundnes of upright and perfect men.

1673 R. Allestree Ladies Calling i. v. 108 Tho she care not for the spotting of her innocence, [she] would be very loth any accident should blemish her face.

1846 S. Smith Sermons xix. 167 This spotting of the heart does not proceed from any disbelief.

1864 Good Words Jan. 637/2 A certainty of spiritual soiling, an inevitable staining and spotting of the baptismal purity.

1888 Eclectic Mag. Dec. 805/2 The dominant..passion of crowds of ladies was gambling, morning, noon, and night—to the certain spotting of their general reputation.

2000 B. Murdoch Adam's Grace iv. 114 The strength of the water of baptism is later on generalised as a remedy for any misfortunes, and Constantine is healed von süntlichem meine..(from the spotting of sin).

a. The action or process of applying spots to something; (also) the fact of becoming spotted in appearance, esp. (in later use) the formation of discolouring spots or marks. Also: an instance of this.

ΚΠ

1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 274 Spottyng with colour, taincture.

1591 R. Percyvall Bibliotheca Hispanica Dict. at Espanzimiento Sprinckling or spotting.

a1610 J. Healey tr. Theophrastus Characters 43 in tr. Epicetus Manuall (1616) To put [clothes] in good store of Fullers earth, to keepe them from soile and spotting.

1652 W. Jenkyn Expos. Jude: 1st Pt. iv. 340 Beuty must not be abused to the enticement of others to sin,..by paintings and spottings.

1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 81. ¶3 This Artificial Spotting of the Face.

a1778 E. Johns Ironmonger, Brazier, & Hardwareman (single sheet) Brown tea urns..require to be..cleaned with a piece of soft wash leather,..which will keep them from spotting and spoiling.

1879 Cassell's Techn. Educator (new ed.) IV. 222/2 The defects [in varnishing coaches]..are those of ‘spotting’, ‘blooming’, ‘pin-holing’.

1922 Country Life Oct. 36/2 Spotting is usually due to the lack of thorough incorporation of all pigment particles in sufficient linseed oil.

1972 R. G. Skolmen Paintability Four Woods in Hawaii (Forest Service, U.S. Dept. Agric.) 3/1 The most serious problem encountered was streaking, spotting, and over-all graying caused by mildew.

2015 E. Cheever Kitchen & Bath Products & Materials ii. 145 A..stainless steel sink that has a high nickel content will resist water spotting.

b. The process of leaves, fruit, etc., becoming spotted, esp. as a result of attack by disease or pests.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > colour > variegation > spot of colour > [noun] > spotting

spotting1776

the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > dirtiness > dirt > soiled condition > [noun] > spotted condition > spotting

bespotting1532

spotting1776

1776 T. Ellis Gardener's Pocket-calendar 120 Nail up the runners of Cucumbers which are planted against the wall, and place some sticks amongst those sown in the open ground, to prevent their spotting.

1830 J. Baxter Libr. Agric. & Hort. Knowl. 489 To prevent the spotting of the fruit produced by the action of the sun.

1838 Penny Cycl. XI. 358/1 To this disparity of temperature..may be certainly ascribed the bad setting, spotting, and shrivelling of grapes.

1939 E. A. Bessey Text-bk. Mycol. (new ed.) x. 275 Melampsora species cause the spotting of leaves of various species of poplars.

1979 J. G. Atkins & M. A. Marchetti Rice Dis. (U.S. Dept. Agric. Farmers' Bull. No. 2120) (rev. ed.) 14/1 Generally, the same fungi cause heavy spotting or discoloration of the hulls [of rice].

2015 L. D. Burton Agriscience: Fund. & Applic. (ed. 6) xii. 277 Insects with sucking mouth parts produce distorted plant growth, leaf spotting, and leaf burn.

c. The finishing of a metal object, esp. the brass plate of a clock or watch, with a decorative series of circular polished areas. Also (occasionally): an instance of such a pattern. Now chiefly historical.

ΘΚΠ

the world > time > instruments for measuring time > [noun] > chronometer > finishing or polishing

spotting1881

1881 F. J. Britten Watch & Clockmakers' Handbk. (ed. 4) 129 Spotting.—Chronometer and occasionally watch plates are spotted with a tool.

1881 J. Tripplin & E. Rigg Saunier's Watchmakers' Hand-bk. ii. 115 To make spottings[Fr. moirés] that, instead of being parallel, radiate from the centre to the circumference, the rest a a must carry a disc that can rotate on a clamping screw.

1884 F. J. Britten Watch & Clockmakers' Handbk. (new ed.) 245 Spotting..[is] the process of finishing chronometer and occasionally watch plates by polishing thereon equidistant circular patches.

1962 E. Bruton Dict. Clocks & Watches 164 Spotting. Decoration used for the brass plates of clocks and marine chronometers..rows of spots being produced by a small circular polishing tool.

1985 Conservator 9 39/1 Fig. 1 shows the mechanism of a marine chronometer by Victor Kullberg, with a special finish on the brass plates known as ‘spotting’, achieved by using fine abrasive paste on a rotating ivory lap.

3. A set or number of spots; a marking or pattern composed of spots.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > colour > variegation > spot of colour > [noun] > pattern or marking of spots

spotting1584

polka dot1857

1584 T. Chaloner Shorte Disc. Nitre f. 4^v Freckles, spottings, tawnynes, Sunneburning..and all such deformities and affectes of the skinne.

1592 R. Dallington tr. F. Colonna Hypnerotomachia f. 70 Dyuers colloured spottings, confusedly agreeing together in pleasant adulterated vniting.

1600 R. Surflet tr. C. Estienne & J. Liébault Maison Rustique iii. xxviii. 486 The best of all the rest, is the short shanked apple, which is marked with spottings.

1654 J. Ogilby in tr. Virgil Georgicks iii. 117 (side-note) Of the Marks of a good Heifer..(that is, sowrness of look,..spotting of the body) [etc.].

1721 R. Bradley Philos. Acct. Wks. Nature 57 The various Colouring and Spotting of their Eggs.

1764 G. Edwards Gleanings Nat. Hist. III. cxxvii. 269/1 The Guiney Hens..are of a light pearl colour, the spotting being visible.

1841 Florist's Jrnl. 2 131 The spotting is smaller, but in every other particular they are very like.

1898 G. Meredith Odes French Hist. 33 Along drear leagues of crimson spotting, white With mother's tears of France.

1937 Discovery Jan. 2/2 Slight indication of banding on tail, slight spotting on sides.

1961 P. A. Munz Calif. Spring Wildflowers iii. 88 The flowers are..orange-yellow with conspicuous maroon or purple spotting.

2002 Cat Fancy June 39 Many breeds feature cats with white spotting, produced by a completely different gene.

4. The action of placing a billiard ball, a bowling pin, etc., on a particular spot, esp. the designated starting spot.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > billiards, pool, or snooker > [noun] > actions or types of play

raking1674

coup1744

Whitechapel play1755

bricole1775

trailing1775

star1839

cannoning1841

safety1844

spotting1849

billiard-sharping1865

stringing1873

safety play1896

potting1909

1849 E. R. Mardon Billiards (ed. 2) Pl. 74 A break would have followed the spotting of the red ball that must have yielded the number of points required.

1879 N.Y. Times 21 Mar. 2/6 A dispute arose in the twenty-third game as to the interpretation of the term ‘below the string’ in the spotting of the ball.

1908 Illustr. Sporting & Dramatic News 1 Feb. 871/3 The spotting of the red ball on the centre spot, after it has been twice pocketed from the billiard spot.

1955 Fitchburg (Mass.) Sentinel 19 May 8 The perfect spotting of pins and the ‘no waiting’ are the biggest improvements to be noted by Fitchburg's bowlers.

2012 J. M. Jones Big Lebowski ii. 66 Brunswick's exclusive pin turret ensures immediate spotting of ten new pins following each strike or second ball.

5. Originally and chiefly New Zealand. The practice of obtaining the best portions or ‘spots’ of a tract of land, esp. so as to make the remainder of little value to others. Cf. spot v. 8, peacocking n. 2. Now historical.

ΘΚΠ

society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > district in relation to human occupation > town as opposed to country > [noun] > town-planning or development > types of planning or development

urban regeneration1850

spotting1856

Haussmannization1865

peacocking1892

ribbon development1925

ribbon building1926

urban renewal1938

infilling1943

strip development1955

arcology1969

1856 E. M. Curr Waste Lands Province Wellington 36 ‘Spotting’ powers.

1902 W. P. Reeves State Exper. in Austral. & N.Z. i. 234 In Australia this process of buying up spots was called ‘peacocking’; in New Zealand it was nicknamed ‘spotting,’ or—sometimes—‘gridironing’, from the oblong shape of the alternate sections bought.

1948 L. Lipson Politics of Equality 58 Liberal politicians had inveighed against ‘dummying’, ‘spotting’, and other favorite devices of land monopolists.

1985 G. R. Hawke Making of N.Z. ii. 26 ‘Spotting’..referred to holders of leases who freeholded only small areas of land but chose them so as to make water supplies or stock routes inaccessible.

a. The removal of spots from a photographic print or negative. Formerly also with out.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > photography > photographic processes > [noun] > other processes

anthotype1843

blacking up1866

spotting1867

squeegeeing1892

photofinishing1916

dropout1948

prescreening1956

1867 Brit. Jrnl. Photog. 8 Nov. 528/2 When all are finished, and the spotting,..they [sc. prints] must be pressed.

1892 Photogr. Ann. II. 877 A series of colours in tubes specially prepared for painting, spotting out, &c.

1940 Amer. Speech 15 360/1 Spotting, eliminating spots from negatives.

1977 J. Hedgecoe Photographer's Handbk. 267 Spotting is the filling in of clear specks (which would otherwise print black) until they match the surrounding tone, and so vanish.

2002 B. Warren Photography (ed. 2) vi. 151 The most basic retouching technique is spotting.

b. The removal of spots or stains from cloth.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > cleaning > cleaning of stains or marks > [noun]

spotting1908

1908 Oakland (Calif.) Tribune 17 Apr. 15/3 (advt.) Girl for spotting and pressing in dye works.

1909 W. T. Brannt Pract. Dry Cleaner, Scourer, & Garment Dyer (ed. 3) i. 24 The subject of removing stains, or ‘spotting’ as it is called, will be referred to later on.

1951 Good Housek. Home Encycl. 269/2 Spotting,..the term applied to a process in the cleaning of a garment such as a suit.

1958 Spectator 4 July 15/3 The store or small cleaner will deal with finishing such as spotting and pressing.

2013 R. D. Morrison & B. Murphy Chlorinated Solvents iii. 107 Cold cleaning compositions for..textile cleaning or spotting.

7. The action or fact of noticing, identifying, or catching sight of something. In early use: spec. the action of identifying or detecting a person engaged in illegal or irregular behaviour (cf. spot v. 9, spotter n. 2b).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > statement > acknowledgement or recognition > [noun]

knowledgelOE

knownessa1200

knowledgingc1225

recognizancea1400

agnitiona1425

recognitionc1460

acknowledgec1510

agnizing1548

reknowledging1549

recognization1560

acknowledgement1570

recognoscence1571

allowing1598

reknowledgement1598

recognizon1611

reconnoissancea1734

spotting1871

1871 Rep. Bureau Statistics Labor 1870–1 (Mass. Dept. Labor & Industries) 23 A spotting of a member who infringed any regulation or violated any principle established by gild rules.

1890 Hamilton (Ohio) Daily Democrat 28 May The $100 reward..will be paid to two of our business men for the ‘spotting’ of the parties that caused the death of the horse.

1905 Titusville (Pa.) Morning Herald 19 June 7/3 This spotting of postdated checks..is the easiest part of a signature clerk's work, and it is very seldom that a check so dated escapes him.

1932 Geogr. Rev. 22 581 Our spotting of this valley from the air is only further proof of the value of the airplane and the aerial camera in exploration.

1969 G. W. Stone in Brit. Dramatists from Dryden to Sheridan (ed. 2) 153 The spotting of hitherto untraced quotations in the play.

2000 Kamloops (Brit. Columbia) Daily News (Nexis) 28 Apr. a8 Once the grass starts to grow in the hills, bear spottings should become less frequent.

8. Slight bleeding from the uterus manifesting itself as spots or stains on underclothes, sanitary pads, etc., typically occurring between menstrual periods, often as a result of the use of oral or implanted contraceptives; such spots or stains.

ΘΚΠ

the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > discharge or flux > [noun] > bleeding or flow of blood > from uterus

flood1666

flooding1710

metrorrhagia1857

metrostaxis1886

spotting1891

1891 Internat. Jrnl. Surg. Feb. 30/1 She complains of no particular pain, but feels somewhat annoyed by this constant ‘spotting’.

1900 W. A. N. Dorland Amer. Illustr. Med. Dict. 624/2 Spotting, a slight menstrual show upon a woman's napkin.

1944 N. F. Miller & V. Bryant Gynecol. & Gynecol. Nursing iv. 57 A faint spotting noted on the underclothing or nightclothing may be the only symptom of an early carcinoma of the cervix.

1962 Lancet 22 Dec. 1315/2 The clinical criterion of adequate dosage most commonly used was absence of break-through bleeding and spotting.

1977 Lancet 5 Nov. 947/1 According to Islamic precepts, intercourse is prohibited during menstruation, and spotting is interpreted as a prolonged menstrual period.

2006 Company Nov. 68/1 Some women find their periods stop altogether with the implant, while others find they get irregular periods and spotting.

9. North American. The placement of a railway car in a specific place, esp. one that is suitable for loading or unloading.

ΚΠ

1896 Locomotive Engin. Aug. 687/1 Water tanks, junction points, and other places where close ‘spotting’ is necessary.

1904 Electr. World & Engineer 24 Sept. 506/1 This breaking up and switching of the trains into sections, which is called ‘spotting’.

1927 San Antonio (Texas) Express 21 June e6 A better ‘spotting’ of cars so that melons may be on their journey with a minimum of time in between their pulling and loading.

1999 Railroad Regulation (U.S. Gen. Accounting Office) v. 86 A point of contact for grain shippers throughout its rail system for..improving the spotting of loaded cars.

10. Military. The action of locating an enemy position so as to allow a gunner to direct his or her fire. Cf. spotter n. 4.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > seeing or looking > [noun] > observing or watching

waiting1377

spialc1480

vizying1552

searchant1635

observe1830

outwatch1866

spotting1906

society > armed hostility > hostilities in the air > [noun] > air operation > spotting or marking target

spotting1906

sweep1916

pathfinding1943

sky-marking1944

1906 Proc. U.S. Naval Inst. Sept. 1052 The water is apt to be so covered with white caps, that spotting would be impossible.

1918 W. H. Berry Aircraft in War & Commerce vi. 77 At the Dardanelles..some of the ‘spotting’ [by seaplanes] for the battleship guns..was not beaten later.

1921 Daily Mail Year Bk. 71/1 The United States Navy..employs aeroplanes, seaplanes, and kite-balloons for spotting and gunnery work.

1962 Naval Aviation News Aug. 31/2 Battleship-based planes were used for spotting during bombardment of the Canal installations.

2006 D. V. Smith Carrier Battles i. 10 An attempt to refine the precision of battleship targeting and gunnery by aviation spotting of enemy targets.

11. The action or activity of positioning oneself near a gymnast, weightlifter, etc., so as to prevent accidents or otherwise provide safety assistance. Cf. spotter n. 6.

ΚΠ

1937 Jrnl. Health & Physical Educ. Mar. 151/1 Spotting is the art of using oneself and available safety equipment in the most advantageous manner so that misfortune may not befall the performer.

1964 Trampolining (‘Know the Game‘ Ser.) 6/1 In a well-conducted class, spotting at the side rail is always apparent but should rarely be necessary.

1992 Out Summer 55/2 A lot of this behavior centers around ‘spotting’. That's when one person stands behind another who is usually laying down doing a bench press, just in case the weight gets too heavy and the person needs help.

2000 On Hill No. 8. 58/3 Spotting is performed by your bouldering partner, who stands alert with arms outstretched ready to ‘spot’ the active climber.

Compounds

C1.

a. General attributive.

ΚΠ

1884 C. G. W. Lock Workshop Receipts 3rd Ser. 15/1 A mottled appearance is produced on brass by a ‘spotting’ machine.

1936 A. Lowy & B. Harrow Introd. Org. Chem. (ed. 4) Insert after p. 58, (in figure) Uses of methanol... Miscellaneous applications... As a constituent of ‘spotting’ fluids in garment cleaning.

1993 S. J. Fleck & J. T. Kearney in B. D. Jordan Med. Aspects Boxing vii. 56 A major goal of correct spotting technique in resistance training is to prevent injury.

2008 S. Andrews Hotel Housek. Managem. & Operations x. 382 The spotting machine is a self-contained table that has all the stain removers and steam gun for treating spots.

†b. attributive. Weaving. Designating any of the various threads or pieces of equipment used to weave spots or patterns into cloth, as spotting shuttle, spotting woof, spotting yarn, etc. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

1805 Trans. Soc. Arts 23 241 The spotting shuttles save clipping, and the waste of spotting yarn.

1839 A. Ure Dict. Arts 1233 In working spots, one thread, or shot of spotting-woof, and two of plain, are successively inserted.

1879 T. R. Ashenhurst Pract. Treat. Weaving & Designing Textile Fabrics 219 The spotting warp and the spotting weft may be of different colours, and each form separate spots, or portions of the same spot.

1921 W. Watson Textile Design & Colour (ed. 2) xi. 157 The simplest style of bird's-eye pattern is obtained by introducing the spotting yarn in the warp, and using the same shade for the weft as the ground shade of warp.

c. attributive. Military. In sense 10, as spotting aeroplane, spotting officer, spotting work, etc. Cf. spotter n. Compounds.

ΚΠ

1908 Proc. for 1907 (Brooklyn Engineers' Club) 173 The spotting officer watches the fall of the shot, and he gives the range to all of the guns on the ship that bear on the target.

1915 Times 22 Feb. 6/3 Observation can be obtained by a spotting ship giving a control station, say 60 ft. above the water line, at a range of 15,000 yards.

1940 Aeroplane 27 Dec. 750/1 At the end of four days' spotting course run by London Civil Defence.

1994 R. T. Bickers Air War Normandy xxii. 161 By maintaining constant fighter patrols along the front, freedom of action for the reconnaissance and spotting aeroplanes of the 2nd Army was obtained.

2000 R. W. Burns John Logie Baird iv. 99 The chief use for such a ‘radio tele-writer’ was for spotting work by aircraft cooperating with the Navy.

C2.

spotting colour n. a dye or pigment used to make small alterations to a photographic print or negative; cf. sense 6a.

ΚΠ

1883 Brit. Jrnl. Photogr. 16 Mar. 154/2 Spot the prints in the usual way with gum and colour, keeping one brush for the glue and one for the spotting colour.

1892 Photogr. Ann. II. 221 With the spotting colour we can carefully erase the other people's hands.

1947 Paris (Texas) News 8 June 3 (advt.) Spotting colors, brushes, and retouching leads... One of these sets would make a nice gift for Dad in touching up his prints.

2001 R. Hirsch & J. Valentino Photogr. Possibilities (ed. 2) vi. 98/2 Prints are now ready to be spotted with a fine #0 sable brush and spotting colors.

spotting scope n. a small telescope of a type commonly used in shooting to locate points of impact on a target.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > device for discharging missiles > firearm > parts and fittings of firearms > [noun] > sight > types of

dispart1578

telescopic sight1674

plain sight1686

aim-frontlet1745

hausse1787

foresight1806

gloaming sight1817

night-sight1822

bead1831

leaf1832

backsight1847

globe sight1847

pendulum hausse1850

hindsight1851

tangent scale1859

tangent1861

tangent backsight1862

training pendulum1862

training level1863

peep sight1866

dispart-sight1867

notch sight1867

buck-horn1877

orthoptic1881

aperturea1884

pinball-sighta1884

dispart patch1884

sight bar1884

flap-sight1887

barley-corn1896

ring sight1901

riflescope1902

spotting scope1904

tangent sight1908

Aldis sight1918

wind-sight1923

scope sight1934

gyro-sight1942

1904 Shooting & Fishing 22 Dec. 231/1 He spent a good part of the afternoon in the house watching the shooting and gazing at the targets through the spotting 'scopes.

1960 C. E. Chapel Art of Shooting xv. 147 The shooter may have a spotting scope. This is a telescope of comparatively high power, which may be mounted on a tripod and placed near the shooter..and used to observe the location of shot holes on the target.

2012 Church Times 16 Mar. 10/5 You can mount a small compact digital camera on a spotting scope.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	spotting
释义	spottingn. Brit. /ˈspɒtɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈspɑdɪŋ/ Forms: see spot v. and -ing suffix¹. Origin: Formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: spot v., -ing suffix¹. Etymology: < spot v. + -ing suffix¹. 1. The action of discrediting or besmirching a person's name or reputation; moral or spiritual corruption. Now rare. ΚΠ a1439 J. Lydgate Fall of Princes (Bodl. 263) iii. l. 3016 (MED) It was heer couenable, To mor rebuk and spottyng off his name, Newe to reherse his sclaundre & his diffame. c1450 tr. G. Deguileville Pilgrimage Lyfe Manhode (Cambr.) (1869) 100 That keepeth him from sinne and from spottinge of rust. 1537 tr. Erasmus Expos. xv. Psalme sig. E.viii Scripture doth calle all synne spottes. Nowe do all spottyng remayne in y^e hart. a1555 J. Bradford Writings (1848) (modernized text) I. 250 Though the works of the Spirit in them be something spotted, yet is not that spotting imputed or laid to their charge for the covenant's sake, which God hath made with him in the blood of Christ. 1629 A. Top Bk. Prayses (new ed.) ii. lxiv. sig. O1^v The most holy and precious service of the wicked is, the maiming, spotting and staining of all integrity, syncerity, and soundnes of upright and perfect men. 1673 R. Allestree Ladies Calling i. v. 108 Tho she care not for the spotting of her innocence, [she] would be very loth any accident should blemish her face. 1846 S. Smith Sermons xix. 167 This spotting of the heart does not proceed from any disbelief. 1864 Good Words Jan. 637/2 A certainty of spiritual soiling, an inevitable staining and spotting of the baptismal purity. 1888 Eclectic Mag. Dec. 805/2 The dominant..passion of crowds of ladies was gambling, morning, noon, and night—to the certain spotting of their general reputation. 2000 B. Murdoch Adam's Grace iv. 114 The strength of the water of baptism is later on generalised as a remedy for any misfortunes, and Constantine is healed von süntlichem meine..(from the spotting of sin). 2. a. The action or process of applying spots to something; (also) the fact of becoming spotted in appearance, esp. (in later use) the formation of discolouring spots or marks. Also: an instance of this. ΚΠ 1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 274 Spottyng with colour, taincture. 1591 R. Percyvall Bibliotheca Hispanica Dict. at Espanzimiento Sprinckling or spotting. a1610 J. Healey tr. Theophrastus Characters 43 in tr. Epicetus Manuall (1616) To put [clothes] in good store of Fullers earth, to keepe them from soile and spotting. 1652 W. Jenkyn Expos. Jude: 1st Pt. iv. 340 Beuty must not be abused to the enticement of others to sin,..by paintings and spottings. 1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 81. ¶3 This Artificial Spotting of the Face. a1778 E. Johns Ironmonger, Brazier, & Hardwareman (single sheet) Brown tea urns..require to be..cleaned with a piece of soft wash leather,..which will keep them from spotting and spoiling. 1879 Cassell's Techn. Educator (new ed.) IV. 222/2 The defects [in varnishing coaches]..are those of ‘spotting’, ‘blooming’, ‘pin-holing’. 1922 Country Life Oct. 36/2 Spotting is usually due to the lack of thorough incorporation of all pigment particles in sufficient linseed oil. 1972 R. G. Skolmen Paintability Four Woods in Hawaii (Forest Service, U.S. Dept. Agric.) 3/1 The most serious problem encountered was streaking, spotting, and over-all graying caused by mildew. 2015 E. Cheever Kitchen & Bath Products & Materials ii. 145 A..stainless steel sink that has a high nickel content will resist water spotting. b. The process of leaves, fruit, etc., becoming spotted, esp. as a result of attack by disease or pests. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > colour > variegation > spot of colour > [noun] > spotting spotting1776 the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > dirtiness > dirt > soiled condition > [noun] > spotted condition > spotting bespotting1532 spotting1776 1776 T. Ellis Gardener's Pocket-calendar 120 Nail up the runners of Cucumbers which are planted against the wall, and place some sticks amongst those sown in the open ground, to prevent their spotting. 1830 J. Baxter Libr. Agric. & Hort. Knowl. 489 To prevent the spotting of the fruit produced by the action of the sun. 1838 Penny Cycl. XI. 358/1 To this disparity of temperature..may be certainly ascribed the bad setting, spotting, and shrivelling of grapes. 1939 E. A. Bessey Text-bk. Mycol. (new ed.) x. 275 Melampsora species cause the spotting of leaves of various species of poplars. 1979 J. G. Atkins & M. A. Marchetti Rice Dis. (U.S. Dept. Agric. Farmers' Bull. No. 2120) (rev. ed.) 14/1 Generally, the same fungi cause heavy spotting or discoloration of the hulls [of rice]. 2015 L. D. Burton Agriscience: Fund. & Applic. (ed. 6) xii. 277 Insects with sucking mouth parts produce distorted plant growth, leaf spotting, and leaf burn. c. The finishing of a metal object, esp. the brass plate of a clock or watch, with a decorative series of circular polished areas. Also (occasionally): an instance of such a pattern. Now chiefly historical. ΘΚΠ the world > time > instruments for measuring time > [noun] > chronometer > finishing or polishing spotting1881 1881 F. J. Britten Watch & Clockmakers' Handbk. (ed. 4) 129 Spotting.—Chronometer and occasionally watch plates are spotted with a tool. 1881 J. Tripplin & E. Rigg Saunier's Watchmakers' Hand-bk. ii. 115 To make spottings[Fr. moirés] that, instead of being parallel, radiate from the centre to the circumference, the rest a a must carry a disc that can rotate on a clamping screw. 1884 F. J. Britten Watch & Clockmakers' Handbk. (new ed.) 245 Spotting..[is] the process of finishing chronometer and occasionally watch plates by polishing thereon equidistant circular patches. 1962 E. Bruton Dict. Clocks & Watches 164 Spotting. Decoration used for the brass plates of clocks and marine chronometers..rows of spots being produced by a small circular polishing tool. 1985 Conservator 9 39/1 Fig. 1 shows the mechanism of a marine chronometer by Victor Kullberg, with a special finish on the brass plates known as ‘spotting’, achieved by using fine abrasive paste on a rotating ivory lap. 3. A set or number of spots; a marking or pattern composed of spots. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > colour > variegation > spot of colour > [noun] > pattern or marking of spots spotting1584 polka dot1857 1584 T. Chaloner Shorte Disc. Nitre f. 4^v Freckles, spottings, tawnynes, Sunneburning..and all such deformities and affectes of the skinne. 1592 R. Dallington tr. F. Colonna Hypnerotomachia f. 70 Dyuers colloured spottings, confusedly agreeing together in pleasant adulterated vniting. 1600 R. Surflet tr. C. Estienne & J. Liébault Maison Rustique iii. xxviii. 486 The best of all the rest, is the short shanked apple, which is marked with spottings. 1654 J. Ogilby in tr. Virgil Georgicks iii. 117 (side-note) Of the Marks of a good Heifer..(that is, sowrness of look,..spotting of the body) [etc.]. 1721 R. Bradley Philos. Acct. Wks. Nature 57 The various Colouring and Spotting of their Eggs. 1764 G. Edwards Gleanings Nat. Hist. III. cxxvii. 269/1 The Guiney Hens..are of a light pearl colour, the spotting being visible. 1841 Florist's Jrnl. 2 131 The spotting is smaller, but in every other particular they are very like. 1898 G. Meredith Odes French Hist. 33 Along drear leagues of crimson spotting, white With mother's tears of France. 1937 Discovery Jan. 2/2 Slight indication of banding on tail, slight spotting on sides. 1961 P. A. Munz Calif. Spring Wildflowers iii. 88 The flowers are..orange-yellow with conspicuous maroon or purple spotting. 2002 Cat Fancy June 39 Many breeds feature cats with white spotting, produced by a completely different gene. 4. The action of placing a billiard ball, a bowling pin, etc., on a particular spot, esp. the designated starting spot. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > billiards, pool, or snooker > [noun] > actions or types of play raking1674 coup1744 Whitechapel play1755 bricole1775 trailing1775 star1839 cannoning1841 safety1844 spotting1849 billiard-sharping1865 stringing1873 safety play1896 potting1909 1849 E. R. Mardon Billiards (ed. 2) Pl. 74 A break would have followed the spotting of the red ball that must have yielded the number of points required. 1879 N.Y. Times 21 Mar. 2/6 A dispute arose in the twenty-third game as to the interpretation of the term ‘below the string’ in the spotting of the ball. 1908 Illustr. Sporting & Dramatic News 1 Feb. 871/3 The spotting of the red ball on the centre spot, after it has been twice pocketed from the billiard spot. 1955 Fitchburg (Mass.) Sentinel 19 May 8 The perfect spotting of pins and the ‘no waiting’ are the biggest improvements to be noted by Fitchburg's bowlers. 2012 J. M. Jones Big Lebowski ii. 66 Brunswick's exclusive pin turret ensures immediate spotting of ten new pins following each strike or second ball. 5. Originally and chiefly New Zealand. The practice of obtaining the best portions or ‘spots’ of a tract of land, esp. so as to make the remainder of little value to others. Cf. spot v. 8, peacocking n. 2. Now historical. ΘΚΠ society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > district in relation to human occupation > town as opposed to country > [noun] > town-planning or development > types of planning or development urban regeneration1850 spotting1856 Haussmannization1865 peacocking1892 ribbon development1925 ribbon building1926 urban renewal1938 infilling1943 strip development1955 arcology1969 1856 E. M. Curr Waste Lands Province Wellington 36 ‘Spotting’ powers. 1902 W. P. Reeves State Exper. in Austral. & N.Z. i. 234 In Australia this process of buying up spots was called ‘peacocking’; in New Zealand it was nicknamed ‘spotting,’ or—sometimes—‘gridironing’, from the oblong shape of the alternate sections bought. 1948 L. Lipson Politics of Equality 58 Liberal politicians had inveighed against ‘dummying’, ‘spotting’, and other favorite devices of land monopolists. 1985 G. R. Hawke Making of N.Z. ii. 26 ‘Spotting’..referred to holders of leases who freeholded only small areas of land but chose them so as to make water supplies or stock routes inaccessible. 6. a. The removal of spots from a photographic print or negative. Formerly also with out. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > photography > photographic processes > [noun] > other processes anthotype1843 blacking up1866 spotting1867 squeegeeing1892 photofinishing1916 dropout1948 prescreening1956 1867 Brit. Jrnl. Photog. 8 Nov. 528/2 When all are finished, and the spotting,..they [sc. prints] must be pressed. 1892 Photogr. Ann. II. 877 A series of colours in tubes specially prepared for painting, spotting out, &c. 1940 Amer. Speech 15 360/1 Spotting, eliminating spots from negatives. 1977 J. Hedgecoe Photographer's Handbk. 267 Spotting is the filling in of clear specks (which would otherwise print black) until they match the surrounding tone, and so vanish. 2002 B. Warren Photography (ed. 2) vi. 151 The most basic retouching technique is spotting. b. The removal of spots or stains from cloth. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > cleaning > cleaning of stains or marks > [noun] spotting1908 1908 Oakland (Calif.) Tribune 17 Apr. 15/3 (advt.) Girl for spotting and pressing in dye works. 1909 W. T. Brannt Pract. Dry Cleaner, Scourer, & Garment Dyer (ed. 3) i. 24 The subject of removing stains, or ‘spotting’ as it is called, will be referred to later on. 1951 Good Housek. Home Encycl. 269/2 Spotting,..the term applied to a process in the cleaning of a garment such as a suit. 1958 Spectator 4 July 15/3 The store or small cleaner will deal with finishing such as spotting and pressing. 2013 R. D. Morrison & B. Murphy Chlorinated Solvents iii. 107 Cold cleaning compositions for..textile cleaning or spotting. 7. The action or fact of noticing, identifying, or catching sight of something. In early use: spec. the action of identifying or detecting a person engaged in illegal or irregular behaviour (cf. spot v. 9, spotter n. 2b). ΘΚΠ the mind > language > statement > acknowledgement or recognition > [noun] knowledgelOE knownessa1200 knowledgingc1225 recognizancea1400 agnitiona1425 recognitionc1460 acknowledgec1510 agnizing1548 reknowledging1549 recognization1560 acknowledgement1570 recognoscence1571 allowing1598 reknowledgement1598 recognizon1611 reconnoissancea1734 spotting1871 1871 Rep. Bureau Statistics Labor 1870–1 (Mass. Dept. Labor & Industries) 23 A spotting of a member who infringed any regulation or violated any principle established by gild rules. 1890 Hamilton (Ohio) Daily Democrat 28 May The $100 reward..will be paid to two of our business men for the ‘spotting’ of the parties that caused the death of the horse. 1905 Titusville (Pa.) Morning Herald 19 June 7/3 This spotting of postdated checks..is the easiest part of a signature clerk's work, and it is very seldom that a check so dated escapes him. 1932 Geogr. Rev. 22 581 Our spotting of this valley from the air is only further proof of the value of the airplane and the aerial camera in exploration. 1969 G. W. Stone in Brit. Dramatists from Dryden to Sheridan (ed. 2) 153 The spotting of hitherto untraced quotations in the play. 2000 Kamloops (Brit. Columbia) Daily News (Nexis) 28 Apr. a8 Once the grass starts to grow in the hills, bear spottings should become less frequent. 8. Slight bleeding from the uterus manifesting itself as spots or stains on underclothes, sanitary pads, etc., typically occurring between menstrual periods, often as a result of the use of oral or implanted contraceptives; such spots or stains. ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > discharge or flux > [noun] > bleeding or flow of blood > from uterus flood1666 flooding1710 metrorrhagia1857 metrostaxis1886 spotting1891 1891 Internat. Jrnl. Surg. Feb. 30/1 She complains of no particular pain, but feels somewhat annoyed by this constant ‘spotting’. 1900 W. A. N. Dorland Amer. Illustr. Med. Dict. 624/2 Spotting, a slight menstrual show upon a woman's napkin. 1944 N. F. Miller & V. Bryant Gynecol. & Gynecol. Nursing iv. 57 A faint spotting noted on the underclothing or nightclothing may be the only symptom of an early carcinoma of the cervix. 1962 Lancet 22 Dec. 1315/2 The clinical criterion of adequate dosage most commonly used was absence of break-through bleeding and spotting. 1977 Lancet 5 Nov. 947/1 According to Islamic precepts, intercourse is prohibited during menstruation, and spotting is interpreted as a prolonged menstrual period. 2006 Company Nov. 68/1 Some women find their periods stop altogether with the implant, while others find they get irregular periods and spotting. 9. North American. The placement of a railway car in a specific place, esp. one that is suitable for loading or unloading. ΚΠ 1896 Locomotive Engin. Aug. 687/1 Water tanks, junction points, and other places where close ‘spotting’ is necessary. 1904 Electr. World & Engineer 24 Sept. 506/1 This breaking up and switching of the trains into sections, which is called ‘spotting’. 1927 San Antonio (Texas) Express 21 June e6 A better ‘spotting’ of cars so that melons may be on their journey with a minimum of time in between their pulling and loading. 1999 Railroad Regulation (U.S. Gen. Accounting Office) v. 86 A point of contact for grain shippers throughout its rail system for..improving the spotting of loaded cars. 10. Military. The action of locating an enemy position so as to allow a gunner to direct his or her fire. Cf. spotter n. 4. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > seeing or looking > [noun] > observing or watching waiting1377 spialc1480 vizying1552 searchant1635 observe1830 outwatch1866 spotting1906 society > armed hostility > hostilities in the air > [noun] > air operation > spotting or marking target spotting1906 sweep1916 pathfinding1943 sky-marking1944 1906 Proc. U.S. Naval Inst. Sept. 1052 The water is apt to be so covered with white caps, that spotting would be impossible. 1918 W. H. Berry Aircraft in War & Commerce vi. 77 At the Dardanelles..some of the ‘spotting’ [by seaplanes] for the battleship guns..was not beaten later. 1921 Daily Mail Year Bk. 71/1 The United States Navy..employs aeroplanes, seaplanes, and kite-balloons for spotting and gunnery work. 1962 Naval Aviation News Aug. 31/2 Battleship-based planes were used for spotting during bombardment of the Canal installations. 2006 D. V. Smith Carrier Battles i. 10 An attempt to refine the precision of battleship targeting and gunnery by aviation spotting of enemy targets. 11. The action or activity of positioning oneself near a gymnast, weightlifter, etc., so as to prevent accidents or otherwise provide safety assistance. Cf. spotter n. 6. ΚΠ 1937 Jrnl. Health & Physical Educ. Mar. 151/1 Spotting is the art of using oneself and available safety equipment in the most advantageous manner so that misfortune may not befall the performer. 1964 Trampolining (‘Know the Game‘ Ser.) 6/1 In a well-conducted class, spotting at the side rail is always apparent but should rarely be necessary. 1992 Out Summer 55/2 A lot of this behavior centers around ‘spotting’. That's when one person stands behind another who is usually laying down doing a bench press, just in case the weight gets too heavy and the person needs help. 2000 On Hill No. 8. 58/3 Spotting is performed by your bouldering partner, who stands alert with arms outstretched ready to ‘spot’ the active climber. Compounds C1. a. General attributive. ΚΠ 1884 C. G. W. Lock Workshop Receipts 3rd Ser. 15/1 A mottled appearance is produced on brass by a ‘spotting’ machine. 1936 A. Lowy & B. Harrow Introd. Org. Chem. (ed. 4) Insert after p. 58, (in figure) Uses of methanol... Miscellaneous applications... As a constituent of ‘spotting’ fluids in garment cleaning. 1993 S. J. Fleck & J. T. Kearney in B. D. Jordan Med. Aspects Boxing vii. 56 A major goal of correct spotting technique in resistance training is to prevent injury. 2008 S. Andrews Hotel Housek. Managem. & Operations x. 382 The spotting machine is a self-contained table that has all the stain removers and steam gun for treating spots. †b. attributive. Weaving. Designating any of the various threads or pieces of equipment used to weave spots or patterns into cloth, as spotting shuttle, spotting woof, spotting yarn, etc. Obsolete. ΚΠ 1805 Trans. Soc. Arts 23 241 The spotting shuttles save clipping, and the waste of spotting yarn. 1839 A. Ure Dict. Arts 1233 In working spots, one thread, or shot of spotting-woof, and two of plain, are successively inserted. 1879 T. R. Ashenhurst Pract. Treat. Weaving & Designing Textile Fabrics 219 The spotting warp and the spotting weft may be of different colours, and each form separate spots, or portions of the same spot. 1921 W. Watson Textile Design & Colour (ed. 2) xi. 157 The simplest style of bird's-eye pattern is obtained by introducing the spotting yarn in the warp, and using the same shade for the weft as the ground shade of warp. c. attributive. Military. In sense 10, as spotting aeroplane, spotting officer, spotting work, etc. Cf. spotter n. Compounds. ΚΠ 1908 Proc. for 1907 (Brooklyn Engineers' Club) 173 The spotting officer watches the fall of the shot, and he gives the range to all of the guns on the ship that bear on the target. 1915 Times 22 Feb. 6/3 Observation can be obtained by a spotting ship giving a control station, say 60 ft. above the water line, at a range of 15,000 yards. 1940 Aeroplane 27 Dec. 750/1 At the end of four days' spotting course run by London Civil Defence. 1994 R. T. Bickers Air War Normandy xxii. 161 By maintaining constant fighter patrols along the front, freedom of action for the reconnaissance and spotting aeroplanes of the 2nd Army was obtained. 2000 R. W. Burns John Logie Baird iv. 99 The chief use for such a ‘radio tele-writer’ was for spotting work by aircraft cooperating with the Navy. C2. spotting colour n. a dye or pigment used to make small alterations to a photographic print or negative; cf. sense 6a. ΚΠ 1883 Brit. Jrnl. Photogr. 16 Mar. 154/2 Spot the prints in the usual way with gum and colour, keeping one brush for the glue and one for the spotting colour. 1892 Photogr. Ann. II. 221 With the spotting colour we can carefully erase the other people's hands. 1947 Paris (Texas) News 8 June 3 (advt.) Spotting colors, brushes, and retouching leads... One of these sets would make a nice gift for Dad in touching up his prints. 2001 R. Hirsch & J. Valentino Photogr. Possibilities (ed. 2) vi. 98/2 Prints are now ready to be spotted with a fine #0 sable brush and spotting colors. spotting scope n. a small telescope of a type commonly used in shooting to locate points of impact on a target. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > device for discharging missiles > firearm > parts and fittings of firearms > [noun] > sight > types of dispart1578 telescopic sight1674 plain sight1686 aim-frontlet1745 hausse1787 foresight1806 gloaming sight1817 night-sight1822 bead1831 leaf1832 backsight1847 globe sight1847 pendulum hausse1850 hindsight1851 tangent scale1859 tangent1861 tangent backsight1862 training pendulum1862 training level1863 peep sight1866 dispart-sight1867 notch sight1867 buck-horn1877 orthoptic1881 aperturea1884 pinball-sighta1884 dispart patch1884 sight bar1884 flap-sight1887 barley-corn1896 ring sight1901 riflescope1902 spotting scope1904 tangent sight1908 Aldis sight1918 wind-sight1923 scope sight1934 gyro-sight1942 1904 Shooting & Fishing 22 Dec. 231/1 He spent a good part of the afternoon in the house watching the shooting and gazing at the targets through the spotting 'scopes. 1960 C. E. Chapel Art of Shooting xv. 147 The shooter may have a spotting scope. This is a telescope of comparatively high power, which may be mounted on a tripod and placed near the shooter..and used to observe the location of shot holes on the target. 2012 Church Times 16 Mar. 10/5 You can mount a small compact digital camera on a spotting scope. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022). † spottingadj. Origin: Formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: spot v., -ing suffix². Etymology: < spot v. + -ing suffix². Obsolete. That makes or causes spots; (often figurative) that stains or sullies. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > colour > variegation > spot of colour > [adjective] spotting1596 1596 G. Markham Poem of Poems v. sig. D^v My feete are bath'd, and washt from spotting sinne. 1602 T. A. Massacre of Money sig. D2 Keepe me secure from life-pursuing harmes, Preserue my splendour from all spotting soile. 1650 J. Bulwer Anthropometamorphosis 158 The discreeter sort of Ladies who are not guilty of this spotting vanity. 1718 I. Mather Serm. Beatitudes ix. 154 The World is a spotting and defiling thing. 1758 H. Lee Sophron II. 455 The natural light bears the spotting stain of man's dark state on its heavenly body. 1827 J. Clare Shepherd's Cal. 56 The high bowl was in the middle set..,Fill'd full of furmety, where dainty swum The streaking sugar and the spotting plum. 1903 Gospel in All Lands Feb. 60 She was very womanly and winning, and I sometimes thought I could understand.., the careful shielding from the spotting world of a thing so soft and fair. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2019). < n.?a1439adj.1596
随便看	looking-glass plate looking-glass tin looking-glass tree looking-glass world looking-glass writing lookingglass lookingglass calm lookingglass carp lookingglass fitter lookingglass frame lookingglass image lookingglass land lookingglass maker lookingglass man lookingglass panelled lookingglass plate lookingglass tin lookingglass tree lookingglass world lookingglass writing lookings lookism lookisms lookist lookit

spottingn.

Compounds

† spottingadj.