blot
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
-
blots,
present (3rd person singular)
-
blotted,
past participle, past
-
blotting
present participle
-
to spot, stain, soil, or the like.
-
to darken; make dim; obscure or eclipse (usually followed byout ).
We watched as the moon blotted out the sun.
- Synonyms:
- expunge, erase, efface, obliterate
-
to dry with absorbent paper or the like.
to blot the wet pane.
-
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
-
to make a blot; spread ink, dye, etc., in a stain.
The more slowly I write, the more this pen blots.
-
to become blotted or stained.
This paper blots too easily.
-
Chemistry. to transfer an array of separated components of a mixture to a chemically treated paper for analysis.
verb phrase
noun
-
Backgammon. an exposed piece liable to be taken or forfeited.
-
Archaic. an exposed or weak point, as in an argument or course of action.
noun
-
a stain or spot of ink, paint, dirt, etc
-
something that spoils or detracts from the beauty or worth of something
-
a blemish or stain on one's character or reputation
verb
-
(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)
-
informal to spoil one's reputation by making a mistake, offending against social customs, etc
-
(intr) to stain or become stained or spotted
-
(tr) to cause a blemish in or on; disgrace
-
to soak up (excess ink, etc) by using blotting paper or some other absorbent material
-
(of blotting paper or some other absorbent material) to absorb (excess ink, etc)
-
-
to darken or hide completely; obscure; obliterate
-
to destroy; annihilate
-
noun
-
backgammon a man exposed by being placed alone on a point and therefore able to be taken by the other player
-
archaic a weak spot
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
blotsimple
-
blotssimple
-
have blottedperfect
-
has blottedperfect
-
am blottingprogressive
-
are blottingprogressive
-
is blottingprogressive
-
have been blottingperfect progressive
-
has been blottingperfect progressive
Past
-
blottedsimple
-
had blottedperfect
-
was blottingprogressive
-
were blottingprogressive
-
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
The Dreamer
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Free Period
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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:
The only blot on his CV is that despite enjoying two magnificent individual seasons at Real Madrid, he is yet to win a major trophy in the Spanish capital.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
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
Many of the towering sycamore trees and elder oaks — probably far older than even the adult Scout leaders — still blot out the midday sun with new, green leaves sprouting from their charred trunks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2025
Failure would be an indelible blot on his record and vastly complicate life for his successors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2025
He let himself slip down underwater to better watch them, becoming a tiny blot among these magnificent monsters of the ocean.
From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook
When the Moon blots out the Sun on August 12, teams will leap into action studying its magnetic field, atmosphere and furious weather that sometimes causes disruptions back here on Earth.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
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
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
Dozens queued on a pontoon at Fourka waiting to flee as smoke blotted out the sky over the resorts, according to images broadcast by ERT.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
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
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
He has already blotted his copybook with the inquiry's chair Sir Wyn Williams over a £450,000 bonus he was due to receive.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2024
My first view in the mirror blotted out the hurting.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
Rothbard blamed Smith’s celebrity for blotting out the better work of abler minds, but Turgot had kept his genius mainly to himself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
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
From up in the space shuttle, in 1983, astronaut Sally Ride could see the pollution blotting out her Los Angeles hometown.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026
Needless to say, shaking off 2025 will require quite a bit of verbal blotting.
From Salon ● Dec. 17, 2025
The tree came towards her blotting out all memory of her ever having lived.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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.
