blot

¹ American  

[blot] / blɒt /

noun

1. a spot or stain, especially of ink on paper.

   Synonyms:

   blotch

2. a blemish on a person's character or reputation.

   He had been haunted by a blot on his past.

   Synonyms:

   spot, disgrace, dishonor, taint, stain

3. Archaic. an erasure or obliteration, as in a writing.

---

verb (used with object)

blots, present (3rd person singular) blotted, past participle, past blotting present participle

1. to spot, stain, soil, or the like.

   Synonyms:

   disfigure, sully

2. to darken; make dim; obscure or eclipse (usually followed byout ).

   We watched as the moon blotted out the sun.

   Synonyms:

   expunge, erase, efface, obliterate

3. to dry with absorbent paper or the like.

   to blot the wet pane.

4. to remove with absorbent paper or the like.

   Synonyms:

   absorb

verb (used without object)

blots, present (3rd person singular) blotted, past participle, past blotting present participle

1. to make a blot; spread ink, dye, etc., in a stain.

   The more slowly I write, the more this pen blots.

2. to become blotted or stained.

   This paper blots too easily.

3. Chemistry. to transfer an array of separated components of a mixture to a chemically treated paper for analysis.

verb phrase

1. blot out

   1. to make indistinguishable; obliterate.

      to blot out a name from the record.

   2. to wipe out completely; destroy.

      Whole cities were blotted out by bombs.

blot ² American  

[blot] / blɒt /

noun

1. Backgammon. an exposed piece liable to be taken or forfeited.

2. Archaic. an exposed or weak point, as in an argument or course of action.

---

blot ¹ British  

/ blɒt /

noun

1. a stain or spot of ink, paint, dirt, etc

2. something that spoils or detracts from the beauty or worth of something

3. a blemish or stain on one's character or reputation

---

verb

1. (of ink, dye, etc) to form spots or blobs on (a material) or (of a person) to cause such spots or blobs to form on (a material)

2. informal to spoil one's reputation by making a mistake, offending against social customs, etc

3. (intr) to stain or become stained or spotted

4. (tr) to cause a blemish in or on; disgrace

5. to soak up (excess ink, etc) by using blotting paper or some other absorbent material

6. (of blotting paper or some other absorbent material) to absorb (excess ink, etc)

7. 1. to darken or hide completely; obscure; obliterate

   2. to destroy; annihilate

blot ² British  

/ blɒt /

noun

1. backgammon a man exposed by being placed alone on a point and therefore able to be taken by the other player

2. archaic a weak spot

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• blotless
  adjective
• blotty
  adjective
• unblotted
  adjective
• blottingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• blotting
  present
• blotted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• blot
  simple
• blots
  simple
• have blotted
  perfect
• has blotted
  perfect
• am blotting
  progressive
• are blotting
  progressive
• is blotting
  progressive
• have been blotting
  perfect progressive
• has been blotting
  perfect progressive

Past

• blotted
  simple
• had blotted
  perfect
• was blotting
  progressive
• were blotting
  progressive
• had been blotting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will blot
  simple
• will have blotted
  perfect
• will be blotting
  progressive
• will have been blotting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of blot¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English noun blot(te); orign uncertain; perhaps akin to Old Norse blettr “blot, spot, stain”; the verb is derivative of the noun

Origin of blot²

First recorded in 1590–1600; origin uncertain; perhaps from Low German blat, akin to bloot “bare, exposed, unprotected”; possibly cognate with Dutch bloot, German bloss bare

Explanation

A blot is a dirty smudge, mark, or stain, like the giant blot of ketchup that remains on your shirt long after the hotdog-eating contest is over. A blot tends to mar or dirty a pristine surface, whether it's an ink blot on the book report you spent hours writing, or a blot of black paint on a white kitchen counter. Figuratively, a blot is something that dirties a person's reputation: "The scandal was a blot on the presidential campaign." As a verb, blot can mean "obscure," like when you use your hand to blot out the sun, or "dry a wet spot," the way you blot spilled tea with your napkin.

Example Sentences

Blot the peeled side of the ginger on a paper towel to remove any excess moisture before sticking it in the fridge.

From Salon • Feb. 2, 2022

Blot cooked bacon with paper towels to remove excess grease.

From Fox News • Sep. 19, 2021

It’s many years since he worked in those Berkeley bookshops, a little-known writer producing the kind of spirited pastiche now seen again in the opening of The Blot.

From The Guardian • Feb. 10, 2017

Simoes flew with the samples to the US where a Western Blot test confirmed that the deadly HIV virus had indeed arrived in India.

From BBC • Aug. 29, 2016

Lovers of the drama must ever respond to the beauty of “The Blot in the ’Scutcheon” and “Pippa Passes.”

From Browning and His Century by Clarke, Helen Archibald

Related Words

• blemish
• blotch
• smudge
• speck