Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - spot

 I. noun  Etymology: Middle English; akin to Middle Dutch ~te stain, speck, Old Norse ~ti small piece  Date: 13th century  1. a taint on character or reputation ; fault the only ~ on the family name  2.  a. a small area visibly different (as in color, finish, or material) from the surrounding area  b.  (1) an area marred or marked (as by dirt)  (2) a circumscribed surface lesion of disease (as measles) or decay ~s of rot rust ~s on a leaf  c. a conventionalized design used on playing cards to distinguish the suits and indicate values  3. an object having a specified number of ~s or a specified numeral on its surface  4. a small quantity or amount ; bit  5.  a. a particular place, area, or part  b. a small extent of space  6. plural usually ~ a small croaker (Leiostomus xanthurus) of the Atlantic coast with a black ~ behind the opercula  7.  a. a particular position (as in an organization or a hierarchy)  b. a place or appearance on an entertainment program  8. ~light  9. a position usually of difficulty or embarrassment  10. a brief announcement or advertisement broadcast between scheduled radio or television programs  11. a brief segment or report on a broadcast especially of news  II. verb  (~ted; ~ting)  Date: 14th century  transitive verb  1. to stain the character or reputation of ; disgrace  2. to mark in or with a ~ ; stain  3. to locate or identify by a ~  4.  a. to single out ; identify; especially to note as a known criminal or a suspicious person  b. detect, notice ~ a mistake  c.  (1) to locate accurately ~ an enemy position  (2) to cause to strike accurately ~ the battery's fire  5.  a. to lie at intervals in or over ; stud  b. to place at intervals or in a desired ~ ~ field telephones  c. to fix in or as if in the beam of a ~light  d. to schedule in a particular ~ or at a particular time  6. to remove a ~ from  7. to allow as a handicap  intransitive verb  1. to become stained or discolored in ~s  2. to cause a ~  3. to act as a ~ter; especially to locate targets  4. to experience abnormal and sporadic bleeding in small amounts from the uterus  • ~table adjective  III. adjective  Date: 1881  1.  a. being, originating, or done on the ~ or in or for a particular ~ ~ coverage of the news  b. available for immediate delivery after sale ~ commodities  c.  (1) paid out upon delivery ~ cash  (2) involving immediate cash payment a ~ transaction  d.  (1) broadcast between scheduled programs ~ announcements  (2) originating in a local station for a national advertiser  e. performing occasionally when needed chance of making the…varsity as a ~ starter and relief pitcher — N. Y. Times  2. made at random or restricted to a few places or instances a ~ check; also selected at random or as a sample