splotch
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
-
to be susceptible to stains or blots; show or retain stains, blots, or spots of dirt or liquid.
Don't buy that tablecloth—the material splotches easily.
-
to cause or be liable to cause stains, blots, or spots.
Be careful of that paint—it splotches.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of splotch
First recorded in 1595–1605; origin uncertain
Explanation
A splotch is a messy or unevenly shaped spot. Some people get bright red splotches on their faces when they blush. Be careful when you're eating something messy in your brand new shirt—you might end up with splotches of barbecue sauce or watermelon juice all over yourself. You can also use this informal word as a verb: "The artist began to splotch pink paint randomly across the canvas." Splotch first appeared around 1600, possibly from a combination of spot and blot. The similar splott in Old English meant "a patch of land."
Vocabulary lists containing splotch
A Good Kind of Trouble
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Prisoner B-3087
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Hello, Universe
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The bat bit Seneng, and although she didn’t show any symptoms of rabies in the following days, she fell ill about a month later, Splotch said.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2024
Seneng found a bat in her classroom about a month ago, her friend, Laura Splotch, told KFSN.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2024
Describing her friend as a “great explorer” who loved the outdoors, Splotch said Seneng was likely trying to help the bat out of her classroom when it bit her.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2024
"Careful, Tommy!—careful," cautioned Splotch of the one eye.
From My Brave and Gallant Gentleman A Romance of British Columbia by Watson, Robert
Splotch, sploch, n. a large spot, a stain.—adj.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
