blot
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
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to spot, stain, soil, or the like.
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to darken; make dim; obscure or eclipse (usually followed byout ).
We watched as the moon blotted out the sun.
- Synonyms:
- expunge, erase, efface, obliterate
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to dry with absorbent paper or the like.
to blot the wet pane.
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to remove with absorbent paper or the like.
- Synonyms:
- absorb
verb (used without object)
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to make a blot; spread ink, dye, etc., in a stain.
The more slowly I write, the more this pen blots.
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to become blotted or stained.
This paper blots too easily.
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Chemistry. to transfer an array of separated components of a mixture to a chemically treated paper for analysis.
verb phrase
noun
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Backgammon. an exposed piece liable to be taken or forfeited.
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Archaic. an exposed or weak point, as in an argument or course of action.
noun
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a stain or spot of ink, paint, dirt, etc
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something that spoils or detracts from the beauty or worth of something
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a blemish or stain on one's character or reputation
verb
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(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)
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informal to spoil one's reputation by making a mistake, offending against social customs, etc
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(intr) to stain or become stained or spotted
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(tr) to cause a blemish in or on; disgrace
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to soak up (excess ink, etc) by using blotting paper or some other absorbent material
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(of blotting paper or some other absorbent material) to absorb (excess ink, etc)
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to darken or hide completely; obscure; obliterate
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to destroy; annihilate
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noun
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backgammon a man exposed by being placed alone on a point and therefore able to be taken by the other player
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archaic a weak spot
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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blotsimple
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blotssimple
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have blottedperfect
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has blottedperfect
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am blottingprogressive
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are blottingprogressive
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is blottingprogressive
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have been blottingperfect progressive
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has been blottingperfect progressive
Past
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blottedsimple
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had blottedperfect
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was blottingprogressive
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were blottingprogressive
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had been blottingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing blot
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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.
See Examples For:
A 5-2 thrashing by Atletico Madrid in September was an early blot in Alonso's copy book, while even when Madrid were winning games, they were not overly convincing.
From Barron's ● Jan. 12, 2026
That did not blot out the fear in many fields that raids could happen at any moment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 30, 2025
Yes, he did so with the help of Hitler and Mussolini, and his proximity to these evil men is a true blot on his record.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025
A black blot suddenly appears on the wall, as if someone hurled an inkpot.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2025
I had long had the feeling that this was the best way to “enclose” the reader’s mind in a new world, to blot out all reality except that which I was giving him.
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
In the past, some funds administered Rorschach tests, asking prospective recruits to assess ink blots, aiming to measure their ability to manage complexity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 16, 2025
Occasional poorer performances have been blots on a generally excellent campaign.
From BBC ● Jan. 6, 2025
Manifestations of grief and inner turmoil here emerge as giant characters outfitted as ink blots.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2024
The errors identified by David, who blogs frequently on research integrity and academic publishing, include identical-looking portions of images—protein blots, bands, and data graphs—that appear more than once in the same paper.
From Science Magazine ● Jan. 22, 2024
I see him for a second, leaning over sideways—is he laughing? angry?—and then the steam rises again and blots him out.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
When the helmsman said that it didn’t, Pericles asked, “so, where’s the difference between this and the eclipse, except that something bigger than my cape has blotted out the sun?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
Until last Sunday, when black towers of smoke blotted out the sun.
From Barron's ● Feb. 24, 2026
Within three hours, black smoke billowing down from the hills blotted out the sun as locals fled, streets jammed with cars, and anxiety turned to flat-out panic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 8, 2025
In an alternative pre-history, we might imagine those early gaze-following dinos continuing to evolve, unmolested by giant asteroids that blotted out the sun.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2024
She blotted her forehead with a lace-fringed hanky.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
In total, more than 1.7 million satellites could soon be lighting up the night sky, obscuring or blotting out the view of ground-based telescopes.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Needless to say, shaking off 2025 will require quite a bit of verbal blotting.
From Salon ● Dec. 17, 2025
“I’m always hot, babe,” Jones replied, continuing her blotting adventure before explaining — perhaps unnecessarily — “I’m having that menopause. That pause, that pause.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2025
The moon will slide in front of the sun Monday, blotting it out of the sky and creating the last total solar eclipse visible from North America until 2044.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 3, 2024
Sweat dripped down my chest, blotting the front of my cotton blouse.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
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.
