/spɒt; spɑt/
n
1 small (usu round) mark different in colour, texture, etc from the surface it is on 斑点（通常指圆的）
*a white skirt with red spots 白底红点儿的裙子
* Which has spots, the leopard or the tiger? 豹跟虎哪一个身上有斑点?
2 roundish mark or stain 圆形的斑点或污迹
*spots of mud on your trousers 你裤子上的泥斑.
3 small red mark or blemish on the skin, caused by illness, etc; pimple （皮肤上由于疾病而起的）红斑, 红疙瘩; 丘疹
*a teenage boy worried about his spots, ie acne 因出粉刺而烦恼的十几岁的男青年
* She had chicken-pox and was covered in spots. 她得了水痘, 出了一身丘疹.
4 (a) particular place or area 地点; 场所
*a nice picnic spot/spot for a picnic 野餐的好去处
* a well-known beauty spot, ie a place well-known for its natural beauty 风景胜地
* stand rooted to the spot, ie not moving 站在原处不动
* This is the (very) spot where he was murdered. 他就是在这儿遭谋杀的.
* There are several weak spots in your argument. 你的论点中有几处经不起推敲.
(b) (infml 口) place of entertainment 娱乐场所
*a popular night spot 很受欢迎的夜总会.
5 drop 滴
*Did you feel a few spots of rain? 下了几滴雨, 你感觉到了吗?
6 place for an individual item of entertainment, esp a short regular one, in a television, radio or theatre show （插入电视、电台或戏院节目中的）节目档（尤指短小、固定的）
*a ten-minute guest spot on a radio programme 电台某节目中的十分钟特约贵宾固定栏目
* She has a regular cabaret spot at a local night-club. 她在当地一家夜总会有她固定的歌舞节目档.
7 (usu sing 通常作单数) ~ of sth (Brit infml 口) small amount of sth 少量的某事物
*Are you ready for a spot of lunch? 你想吃点儿午饭吗?
* What about doing a spot of work? 做点儿事怎么样?
* You seem to be having a spot of bother with your car can I help? 看来你的汽车有点让你伤脑筋了--要我帮忙吗?
8 (fig 比喻) flaw in a person's character; moral blemish 性格上的缺陷; 品行上的污点
*There isn't a spot on her reputation. 她的声誉没有半点瑕疵.
9 (infml 口) = spotlight.
10 (US infml 口) playing-card or banknote of a particular (specified) value 某点数的纸牌; 某票面的钞票
*He passed me a ten spot. 他出给了我一张十点的牌.
11 (idm 习语) change one's spots => change1. have a soft spot for sb/sth => soft. a hot spot => hot. in a (tight) `spot (infml 口) in a difficult position or situation 处在困难的地位或环境中
*I'm in a bit of a spot financially. 我经济上有点困难. knock spots off sb/sth => knock2. on the `spot
(a) immediately; without moving from that place; then and there 立即; 当场
*He was hit by a falling tree and killed on the spot. 一棵树倒下来, 把他当场砸死了.
(b) at the place where an event happened (esp when one is needed) 在现场, 到现场（尤指能提供帮助的人）
*The police were on the spot within a few minutes of my telephone call. 我打电话几分钟後警察就赶到了现场.
* Luckily there was a doctor on the spot. 幸亏当时有位医生在场. put sb on the `spot put a person in a difficult position; force sb to take action or justify himself 置某人于困境; 使某人为难; 迫使某人采取行动或进行辩解
*You've put me on the spot here I can't answer your question. 这你可把我难住了--你这个问题我答不上来.

v (-tt-)
1 [I, Tn, Tn.pr usu passive 通常用于被动语态] ~ sth (with sth) (cause sth to) become marked with a spot or spots （使某事物）有斑点或污点
*material that spots easily 容易沾上污斑的料子
* a tablespotted with ink 墨迹斑斑的桌子.
2 [Tn, Tw, Tng, Cn.n/a] ~ sb/sth (as sth) (not in the continuous tenses 不用于进行时态) pick out (one person or thing from many); catch sight of; recognize; discover （从许多人或事物中）找出, 辨出, 认出（某人或某事物）; 瞥见; 发觉
*He finally spotted just the shirt he wanted. 他最後找到了他想要的衬衫.
* She spotted her friend in the crowd. 她在人群中认出了她的朋友.
* I can't spot the difference between them. 我看不出两者的区别.
* Can you spot the flaw in their argument? 你能指出他们论点中的谬误吗?
* spot the winner of a race, ie pick out the winner before the race starts 预先料到赛跑的获胜者
* I soon spotted what to do. 我很快就知道该怎么办了.
* He was spotted by police boarding a plane for Paris. 他登上飞往巴黎的飞机时被警方认出.
* She has been spotted as a likely tennis star of the future. 她很有希望成为网球明星.
3 [I, Ipr] (Brit infml 口) (used with it 与it连用) rain slightly; spit 下小雨
*It's beginning to spot. 开始下小雨了.
* It's spotting with rain. 正在下小雨. spotted adj marked or covered with spots 有斑点的; 满是斑点的
*a spotted dog 身上有花斑的狗
* a spotted dress 带花点儿的连衣裙. spotted `dick (Brit) suet pudding containing currants 葡萄乾板油布丁.