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blot

blot

8 2.7
A small mark often made by ink or dirt
  • noun
  • /blɑt/
translation icon : mancha
  • You've made a blot right there.

Examples

  • Well, it looks kind of like an ink blot.

  • The van loomed up on their right, a dark blot against the painted brick of the alley.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • 'What do you see in the ink blot, Charles?'

  • The spaceship was a black blot against the stars.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • There's a blot of it on the pink linen bedspread.

    Academic text (1991)
  • A blot of mustard.

  • Riley looked down and saw the unmistakable Rorschach blot of blood growing on his pant leg.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Thus, the view from the porch is one of emerald leaves with blots of pink against a blue so sparkling it is not so much a color as the experience of light.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Partway up crouched the dark blot of the cave, mottled by sunlit leaves and pink laurel blossoms.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The artist created a beautiful masterpiece with a small blot of ink in the corner.

Synonyms

mark
vsblot
468 1.0

A visible line, spot, scratch, or stain on a surface

is the more specific small stain rather than any visible sign
spot
vsblot
297 1.0

A small round mark on a surface, for example on a card or dice

is used for irregular or smeared marks rather than round ones
stain
vsblot
224 1.4

A mark that makes something a different color and is hard to remove

is generally a smaller, simpler mark not necessarily hard to remove
smudge
vsblot
30 1.9

A dirty mark on something that makes it look untidy

is a neutral small mark and not necessarily messy or untidy
blemish
vsblot
15 3.9

A small mark that spoils the look of skin or an object

is specifically a mark caused by substances rather than a general skin flaw
smear
vsblot
14 4.1

A messy mark left on a surface by a substance

is usually a compact small spot rather than a spread or streak
inkblot
vsblot
3 6.3

A spot of ink with an irregular shape often used in tests

is more general and used for any small mark made by various substances
speckle
vsblot
3 3.4

A small spot of a different color on a surface

is usually one of many tiny marks, not a single larger stain
flyspeck
vsblot
1 9.6

A very small dark spot often made by a fly's droppings

is much tinier and specific in origin than the general small mark
tache
vsblot
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A small spot or stain on a surface

is the broader everyday word for any such small mark
blotch of ink
vsblot
3.5

A dark patch of ink from a spill or a smudge

is the general term for any small mark not only from spills
mouche
vsblot
  • Archaic
9.9

A small spot on a surface showing an imperfection

is the modern general term rather than the archaic form
daub
vsblot
7.7

A small spot of dirt or sticky food on something

is a more neutral small mark rather than a rough applied patch
smirch
vsblot
  • Archaic
9.8

A dirty mark that spoils the look of clothing or fabric

is the general small mark not necessarily spoiling appearance

Idioms

A single event that harms a person or group's good reputation

How Marked

stain
224 1.4
blemish
15 3.9
blotch
4 3.9
blot
8 2.7
spot
297 1.0
speck
66 1.3

Surface Forms

blot singular
blots plural

Etymology

Blot as a noun comes from an old word meaning 'spot' or 'stain', and you can see the same idea in words like blotter and blotch. So a blot is simply a small mark or stain on something.