spot
noun /spɒt/
/spɑːt/
Idioms - a small round area that has a different colour or feels different from the surface it is on
- Which has spots, the leopard or the tiger?
- The male bird has a red spot on its beak.
- (British English) She was wearing a black skirt with white spots.
Synonyms patchpatch- dot
- mark
- spot
- patch an area of something, especially one which is different from the area around it:
- a white dog with a black patch on its head
- patches of dense fog
- dot a small round mark on something, especially one that is printed:
- The letters ‘i’ and ‘j’ have dots over them.
- The island is a small green dot on the map.
- mark an area of colour that is easy to notice on the body of a person or animal:
- The horse had a white mark on its head.
- spot a small round area that is a different colour or feels different from the surface it is on:
- Which has spots, a leopard or a tiger?
- a patch/dot/mark/spot on something
- with patches/dots/marks/spots
- a blue/black/red, etc. patch/dot/mark/spot
Wordfindersee also beauty spot, liver spot, sunspot- band
- check
- dot
- fleck
- pattern
- speckle
- splash
- spot
- streak
- stripe
- [usually plural] a small mark or lump on a person’s skin, sometimes with a yellow head to it
- The baby's whole body was covered in small red spots.
- He had a large spot on his nose.
- The aim of acne treatments is to shorten the length of time someone has spots.
- (British English) teenagers worried about their spots
- The children all had measles, and had broken out in spots.
- enlarged pores and spots on the skin
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- beauty
- liver
- break out in
- scratch
- squeeze
- …
- a small dirty mark on something
- His jacket was covered with spots of mud.
- rust spots
- There were grease spots all over the walls.
Synonyms markmark- stain
- fingerprint
- streak
- speck
- blot
- smear
- spot
- mark a small area of dirt, a spot or a cut on a surface that makes it look less good:
- The kids left dirty marks all over the kitchen floor.
- stain a dirty mark on something that is difficult to remove, especially one made by a liquid:
- blood stains
- fingerprint a mark on a surface made by the pattern of lines on the end of a person’s finger, often used by the police to identify criminals:
- Her fingerprints were all over the gun.
- streak a long, thin mark or line that is a different colour from the surface it is on:
- She had streaks of grey in her hair.
- speck a very small mark, spot or piece of a substance on something:
- There isn’t a speck of dust anywhere in the house.
- blot a spot or dirty mark left on something by a substance such as ink or paint being dropped on a surface
- smear a mark made by something such as oil or paint being spread or rubbed on a surface
- spot a small dirty mark on something:
- There were grease spots all over the walls.
- a streak/speck/blot/smear/spot of something
- a greasy mark/stain/smear
- an ink mark/stain/blot/spot
- a grease mark/stain/spot
- to leave a mark/stain/fingerprint/streak/speck/blot/smear
- a particular area or place
- a quiet/secluded/lonely spot
- This is a favourite spot for walkers and climbers.
- I won't drive around for 20 minutes looking for a parking spot.
- He was exhausted and just wanted to find a spot to sleep.
- The bay has become a popular spot for young international travellers.
- He showed me the exact spot where he had asked her to marry him.
- a tourist spot
- She placed the ball on the penalty spot and waited for the whistle.
Synonyms placeplacesee also beauty spot (1), black spot, blind spot, hotspot, nightspot, penalty spot, sweet spot, trouble spot- site
- area
- position
- point
- location
- scene
- spot
- venue
- place a particular point, area, city, town, building, etc., especially one used for a particular purpose or where a particular thing happens:
- This would be a good place for a picnic.
- site the place where something, especially a building, is or will be located; a place where something happened or that is used for a particular purpose:
- They’ve chosen a site for the new school.
- area a part of a room, building or particular space that is used for a special purpose; a particular place on an object:
- the hotel reception area
- Move the cursor to a blank area on the screen.
- position the place where a person or thing is located; the place where somebody/something is meant to be:
- From his position at the top of the hill, he could see the harbour.
- point a particular place within an area, where something happens or is supposed to happen:
- the point at which the river divides
- location a place where something happens or exists, especially a place that is not named or not known:
- The company is moving to a new location.
- scene a place where something happens, especially something unpleasant:
- the scene of the accident
- spot a particular point or area, especially one that has a particular character or where something particular happens:
- The lake is one of the local beauty spots.
- venue the place where people meet for an organized event such as a performance or sports event.
- at a place/site/position/point/location/scene/spot/venue
- in a(n) place/area/position/location/venue
- the place/site/point/location/spot/venue where…
- the right place/site/position/location/spot/venue
- a central site/position/location/venue
- the/somebody’s/something’s exact/precise place/site/position/point/location/spot
Extra Examples- He stood rooted to the spot, unable to move.
- It's a beautiful spot to relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.
- On your map, X marks the spot where the race begins.
- She pointed to a spot on the map.
- Take the time to find the right spot to pitch your tent.
- a favourite spot for picnickers
- There are miles of footpaths and plenty of secluded spots.
- He pointed to a spot in the western sky.
- They picked a good spot for a picnic.
- I was sitting in my usual spot.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- exact
- particular
- precise
- …
- mark
- point to
- reach
- …
- on the spot
- an accident black spot
- a bright spot
- a tight spot
- …
- a small feature or part of somebody/something with a particular quality
- He usually wears a hat to hide his bald spot.
- (figurative) She knew her weak spot where Steve was concerned.
- (figurative) From her angry reply it was obvious that I had touched a sensitive spot.
- [usually singular] spot of something (British English, informal) a small amount of something synonym bit
- He's in a spot of trouble.
- Would you like a spot of lunch?
- She’s gone out to do a spot of shopping.
- We got into a spot of bother with the police.
- [usually plural] spot (of something) a small amount of a liquid
- I felt a few spots of rain.
- There was a spot of rain in the afternoon, but otherwise the weather has been perfect.
- a part of a television, radio, club or theatre show that is given to a particular person or type of entertainment
- a guest/solo spot
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- radio
- TV
- guest
- …
- a position in a competition, event or team
- two teams battling for (the) top spot
- She has earned a spot on the national team.
Extra Examples- Glamorgan claimed the top spot in the League.
- The Korean team secured two qualifying spots for the Olympic Games.
- That leaves one roster spot, and the team will need a versatile player to fill it.
- The album quickly reached the number-one spot in the charts.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- high
- top
- number-one
- …
- claim
- secure
- earn
- …
- (informal) a spotlight (= a light with a single, very bright beam that can be directed at a particular place or person, especially a performer on the stage) see also high spot
small mark
place
feature of somebody/something
small amount
part of show
in competition
light
Word OriginMiddle English: perhaps from Middle Dutch spotte. The sense ‘notice, recognize’ arose from the early 19th-cent. slang use ‘note as a suspect or criminal’.
Idioms
a/the bright spot
- a good or pleasant part of something that is unpleasant or bad in all other ways
- The win last week was the only bright spot in their last ten games.
- The birth of my son was the one bright spot in a terrible year.
glued/riveted/rooted to the spot
- not able to move, for example because you are frightened or surprised
- I stood rooted to the spot with terror.
have a soft spot for somebody/something
(also Indian English have a soft corner for somebody/something)
- (informal) to like somebody/something
- She's always had a soft spot for you.
hit the spot
- (informal) if something hits the spot it does exactly what it should do
in a (tight) spot/corner
- (informal) in a difficult situation
- She’ll always help you if you’re in a spot.
Extra ExamplesTopics Dangerc2- This could put the banks in a tight spot.
- The captain's knee injury leaves the team in a tight corner.
knock spots off somebody/something
- (British English, informal) to be very much better than somebody/something
- She knocks spots off all the other candidates.
a leopard cannot change its spots
- (saying) people cannot change their character, especially if they have a bad character
- You didn’t really expect her to be on time, did you? A leopard can’t change its spots.
on the spot
- immediately
- He answered the question on the spot.
- an on-the-spot parking fine
- at the actual place where something is happening
- An ambulance was on the spot within minutes.
- an on-the-spot report
- (North American English also in place)in one exact place, without moving in any direction
- Running on the spot is good exercise.
put somebody on the spot
- to make somebody feel uncomfortable or embarrassed by asking them a difficult question
- The interviewer's questions really put him on the spot.