What does "blot" mean?
A blemish, spot or stain made by a coloured substance.
Blot
/blɒt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A blemish, spot or stain made by a coloured substance.
- Grammar: blot is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: spot, stain, absorb, absorb.
- Useful contrasts: clean surface, credit, dampen.
- Usage evidence: These factories are a blot on the landscape.
How to use "blot"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "blot" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "blot" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "blot" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "blot" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "blot" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "spot" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "blot", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A blemish, spot or stain made by a coloured substance.
"England bound in with the triumphant ſea, / Whoſe rocky ſhore beates backe the enuious ſiedge / Of watery Neptune, is now bound in with ſhame, / With Inky blottes, and rotten Parchment bonds."
- 2 an act that brings discredit to the person who does it wordnet
- 3 A stain on someone's reputation or character; a disgrace. broadly
"Thy ouerflow of good, conuerts to bad, / And thy abundant goodneſſe ſhall excuſe / This deadly blot, in thy digreſſing ſonne."
- 4 a blemish made by dirt wordnet
- 5 A method of transferring proteins, DNA or RNA, onto a carrier.
Show 1 more definition
- 6 An exposed piece in backgammon.
Verb
- 1 To cause a blot (on something) by spilling a coloured substance. transitive
- 2 make a spot or mark onto wordnet
- 3 To soak up or absorb liquid. intransitive
"This paper blots easily."
- 4 dry (ink) with blotting paper wordnet
- 5 To dry (writing, etc.) with blotting paper. transitive
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 To spot, stain, or bespatter, as with ink. transitive
"The briefe was writte and blotted all with gore,[…]"
- 7 To impair; to damage; to mar; to soil. transitive
"It blots thy beautie, as froſts doe bite the Meads,[…]"
- 8 To stain with infamy; to disgrace. transitive
"Blot not thy Innocence with guiltleſs Blood."
- 9 To obliterate, as writing with ink; to cancel; to efface; generally with out. transitive
"to blot out a word or a sentence"
- 10 To obscure; to eclipse; to shadow. transitive
"He ſung how Earth blots the Moons gilded Wane,[…]"
- 11 To sell illegal drugs, to deal, to push. Multicultural-London-English, transitive
"I'm walking down the street, past the coppers on the beat. Past the shotters blottin' weed, clear for everyone to see."
- 12 To hit a blot. transitive
Example
"These factories are a blot on the landscape."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "blot"?
Common synonyms include: spot, stain, absorb, absorb, absorbent paper, adsorb.
How do you use "blot" in a sentence?
These factories are a blot on the landscape.
How do you pronounce "blot"?
Pronounced /blɒt/.
Etymology
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”).