blot

Meaning

Noun

1. A blemish, spot or stain made by a coloured substance.
2. (broadly) A stain on someone's reputation or character; a disgrace.
3. A method of transferring proteins, DNA or RNA, onto a carrier.
4. An exposed piece in backgammon.

Verb

1. (transitive) To cause a blot (on something) by spilling a coloured substance.
2. (intransitive) To soak up or absorb liquid.
3. (transitive) To dry (writing, etc.) with blotting paper.
4. (transitive) To spot, stain, or bespatter, as with ink.
5. (transitive) To impair; to damage; to mar; to soil.
6. (transitive) To stain with infamy; to disgrace.
7. (transitive) To obliterate, as writing with ink; to cancel; to efface; generally with out.
8. (transitive) To obscure; to eclipse; to shadow.
9. (Multicultural-London-English, transitive) To sell illegal drugs, to deal, to push.
10. (transitive) To hit a blot.

Synonyms

stain

spot

blemish

smear

smirch

smudge

blur

speck

slur

blotch

soil

mark

flaw

defect

disgrace

fleck

tarnish

smut

speckle

blob

daub

splotch

stigma

sully

taint

mar

dot

pencil mark

dishonor

ignominy

moil

dab

shame

macula

dirty

efface

foul

run

discolouration

discoloration

smudginess

soak up

deficiency

dapple

besmirch

press gently

spread

brand

make turbid

scratches on a gem

Translations

tache

Fleck

macchia

vlek

mancha

mancha

Klecks

tacher

borrón

macchiare

klad

smet

moet

κηλίδα

taca

Pronounced as (IPA)

/blɒt/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: blot

Cognate with Old Norse: *blettr

Cognate with Icelandic: blettur

Cognate with Old French: bloche

In summary

From Middle English blot (“blot, spot, stain, blemish”). Perhaps from Old Norse *blettr (“blot, stain”) (only attested in documents from after Old Norse transitioned to Icelandic blettur), or from Old French bloche (“clod of earth”).