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Smudge vs Spot - What's the difference?

smudge | spot |

As nouns the difference between smudge and spot

is that smudge is a blemish; a smear while spot is .

As a verb smudge

is to obscure by blurring; to smear.

smudge

English

Etymology 1

Noun

(en noun)
  • A blemish; a smear.
    • There was a smudge on the paper.
  • Dense smoke, such as that used for fumigation.
    • (Grose)
  • (US) A heap of damp combustibles partially ignited and burning slowly, placed on the windward side of a house, tent, etc. to keep off mosquitoes or other insects.
    • (Bartlett)
    Synonyms
    * blur, smear, stain

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) smogen.

    Verb

    (smudg)
  • To obscure by blurring; to smear.
  • To soil or smear with dirt.
  • To use dense smoke to protect from insects.
  • To stifle or smother with smoke.
  • (North American Indigenous) To burn herbs as a cleansing ritual.
    • Synonyms
    * (to obscure by blurring) blur, smear * (to soil or smear with dirt) smutch, soil * (to use smoke against insects) fumigate

    Related terms

    * smudgily * smudginess * smudgy

    Anagrams

    *

    spot

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A round or irregular patch on the surface of a thing having a different color, texture etc. and generally round in shape.
    • The leopard is noted for the spots of color in its fur.
  • A stain or disfiguring mark.
    • I have tried everything, and I can’t get this spot out.
  • A pimple, papule or pustule.
    • That morning, I saw that a spot had come up on my chin.
    I think she's got chicken pox; she's covered in spots .
  • A small, unspecified amount or quantity.
    • Would you like to come round on Sunday for a spot of lunch?
  • (slang, US) A bill of five-dollar or ten-dollar denomination in dollars.
    • Here's the twenty bucks I owe you, a ten spot''' and two five '''spots .
  • A location or area.
    • I like to eat lunch in a pleasant spot outside.
    For our anniversary we went back to the same spot where we first met.
  • * Milton
    • That spot to which I point is Paradise.
  • * Wordsworth
    • "A jolly place," said he, "in times of old! / But something ails it now: the spot is cursed."
  • * 2011 , Tom Fordyce, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/15210221.stm]
    • Yachvilli made it 6-0 with a second sweet strike from 45 metres after Matt Stevens was penalised for collapsing a scrum, and then slid another penalty just wide from the same spot .
  • A parking space.
  • *
  • (sports) An official determination of placement.
    • The fans were very unhappy with the referee's spot of the ball.
  • A bright lamp; a spotlight.
  • (US, advertising) A brief advertisement or program segment on television.
    • Did you see the spot on the news about the shoelace factory?
  • Difficult situation; predicament
    • She was in a real spot when she ran into her separated husband while on a date.
  • (gymnastics, dance, weightlifting) One who spots (supports or assists a maneuver, or is prepared to assist if safety dictates); a spotter
  • (soccer) penalty spot
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=January 8 , author=Chris Bevan , title=Arsenal 1 - 1 Leeds , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=The Gunners dominated for long periods but, against the run of play, Denilson fouled Max Gradel and Robert Snodgrass put Leeds ahead from the spot . }}
  • The act of spotting or noticing something.
    • - You've misspelled "terrapin" here.
    ''- Whoops. Good spot .
  • A variety of the common domestic pigeon, so called from a spot on its head just above the beak.
  • A food fish (Liostomus xanthurus ) of the Atlantic coast of the United States, with a black spot behind the shoulders and fifteen oblique dark bars on the sides.
  • The southern redfish, or red horse, which has a spot on each side at the base of the tail.
  • (in the plural, brokers' slang, dated) Commodities, such as merchandise and cotton, sold for immediate delivery.
  • An autosoliton.

    • Derived terms

    * on the spot * put someone on the spot * sitspot * shot spot * spot check * spot color / spot colour * spot market * spot on * spot remover * spotty * X marks the spot

    Verb

    (spott)
  • To see, find; to pick out, notice, locate, distinguish or identify
    • Try to spot the differences between these two pictures.
  • (finance) To loan a small amount of money to someone.
    • I’ll spot you ten dollars for lunch.
  • (ambitransitive) To stain; to leave a spot (on).
    • Hard water will spot if it is left on a surface.
    a garment spotted with mould
  • To remove, or attempt to remove, a stain.
    • I spotted the carpet where the child dropped spaghetti.
  • (gymnastics, dance, weightlifting, climbing) To support or assist a maneuver, or to be prepared to assist if safety dictates.
    • I can’t do a back handspring unless somebody spots me.
  • (dance) To keep the head and eyes pointing in a single direction while turning.
    • Most figure skaters do not spot their turns like dancers do.
  • To stain; to blemish; to taint; to disgrace; to tarnish, as reputation.
  • * Sir Philip Sidney
    • My virgin life no spotted thoughts shall stain.
  • * Beaumont and Fletcher
    • If ever I shall close these eyes but once, / May I live spotted for my perjury.
  • To cut or chip (timber) in preparation for hewing.

    • Statistics

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    Anagrams

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