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Spot vs Spy - What's the difference?

spot | spy |

In transitive terms the difference between spot and spy

is that spot is to see, find; to pick out, notice, locate, distinguish or identify while spy is to explore; to view; inspect and examine secretly, as a country.

As a proper noun Spot

is a popular given name for a dog.

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

    *

    Anagrams

    * ----

    spy

    English

    Noun

    (spies)
  • A person who secretly watches and examines the actions of other individuals or organizations and gathers information on them (usually to gain an advantage).
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-29, volume=407, issue=8842, page=55, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Travels and travails , passage=Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.}}

    Derived terms

    * spy ring

    Verb

  • To act as a spy.
  • During the Cold War, Russia and America would each spy on each other for recon.
  • To spot; to catch sight of.
  • I think I can spy that hot guy coming over here.
  • * Jonathan Swift
  • One in reading, skipped over all sentences where he spied a note of admiration.
  • * Latimer
  • Look about with your eyes; spy what things are to be reformed in the church of England.
  • To search narrowly; to scrutinize.
  • * Shakespeare
  • It is my nature's plague / To spy into abuses.
  • To explore; to view; inspect and examine secretly, as a country.
  • * Bible, Numbers xxi. 32
  • Moses sent to spy Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof.

    Derived terms

    * spy on

    See also

    *

    Anagrams

    * ---- ==Norwegian Bokmål==

    Noun

  • barf (US), vomit, spew
  • Verb

  • to barf (US), throw up, vomit, spew (also figurative )
  • Synonyms

    * (l)

    References

    * ----