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:
And when I consider airports, I blot the memory of the woman next to me at Gate 66 who insists on blaring a video call at maximum volume.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 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
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
Harry yelled, trying to blot the screaming from his ears.
From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
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
The lettering was minute, but jet-black and passionately legible, if just a trifle fancy in spots, and without blots or erasures.
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
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
Any fruits and veggies you aren't going to eat immediately should be blotted with a dry paper towel or put in a salad spinner to remove moisture and reduce germ growth.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2024
As for Rose, bogeys on 17 and 18 blotted an otherwise excellent round.
From BBC ● May 19, 2024
I blotted the tears from my eyes and laughed.
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
Meanwhile, Whoopi stepped up the blotting, offering comforting words to Jones while Behar babbled on in her own defense.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2025
And McIlroy followed that with another double bogey on the par-four 17th, blotting what had previously been a consistent card where he had played with patience and maturity.
From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2025
Slant's eyes were not open; for several steps he walked with them closed—praying, I suppose, or blotting out that dawn, that pitiless approach.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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.
