- 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 patchpatchdot ▪ mark ▪ spotThese are all words for a small part on a surface that is a different colour from the rest.patch an area of something, especially one which is different from the area around it:see also beauty spot, liver spot, sunspot- a white dog with a black patch on its head
- patches of dense fog
- The letters ‘i’ and ‘j’ have dots over them.
- The island is a small green dot on the map.
- The horse had a white mark on its head.
- 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
- [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 markmarkstain ▪ fingerprint ▪ streak ▪ speck ▪ blot ▪ smear ▪ spotThese are all words for a small area of dirt or another substance on a surface.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.
- blood stains
- Her fingerprints were all over the gun.
- She had streaks of grey in her hair.
- There isn’t a speck of dust anywhere in the house.
- 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 placeplacesite ▪ area ▪ position ▪ point ▪ location ▪ scene ▪ spot ▪ venueThese are all words for a particular area or part of an area, especially one used for a particular purpose or where somebody/something is situated or happens.place a particular point, area, city, town, building, etc., especially one used for a particular purpose or where a particular thing happens:see also beauty spot (1), black spot, blind spot, hotspot, nightspot, penalty spot, sweet spot, trouble spot- This would be a good place for a picnic.
- They’ve chosen a site for the new school.
- the hotel reception area
- Move the cursor to a blank area on the screen.
- From his position at the top of the hill, he could see the harbour.
- the point at which the river divides
- The company is moving to a new location.
- the scene of the accident
- The lake is one of the local beauty spots.
- 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) Try to identify the weak spots in your performance.
- (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
See spot in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee spot in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englisha/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.
Check pronunciation:
spot