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 spot1. 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.

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).

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.

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.

SPOT single property ownership trust