hit
verb (used with object), hit, hit·ting.
- to make (a base hit): He hit a single and a home run.
- bat1(def 12).
verb (used without object), hit, hit·ting.
noun
- a game won by a player after the opponent has thrown off one or more men from the board.
- any winning game.
- (in information retrieval) an instance of successfully locating an item of data, as in a database or on the Internet: When I search for my name, I get lots of hits.
- an instance of accessing a website.
Verb Phrases
- to represent or describe precisely or aptly: In his new book he hits off the American temperament with amazing insight.
- to imitate, especially in order to satirize.
- to deal a blow aimlessly: a child hitting out in anger and frustration.
- to make a violent verbal attack: Critics hit out at the administration's new energy policy.
- to ask to borrow money from: He hit me up for ten bucks.
- to inject a narcotic drug into a vein.
Idioms
- to go out on the town; go nightclubbing: We'll hit the high spots when you come to town.
- to do something in a quick or casual manner, paying attention to only the most important or obvious facets or items: When I clean the house I hit the high spots and that's about all. This course will hit the high spots of ancient history.
Origin of hit
Synonym study
spot
noun
- one of various traditional, geometric drawings of a club, diamond, heart, or spade on a playing card for indicating suit and value.
- any playing card from a two through a ten: He drew a jack, a queen, and a three spot.
- a small quantity of anything.
- a drink: a spot of tea.
verb (used with object), spot·ted, spot·ting.
- to determine (a location) precisely on either the ground or a map.
- to observe (the results of gunfire at or near a target) for the purpose of correcting aim.
verb (used without object), spot·ted, spot·ting.
adjective
- pertaining to the point of origin of a local broadcast.
- broadcast between announced programs.
Origin of spot
Synonyms for spot
Related Words for hit the high spots
facilitate, reduce, clarify, shorten, streamline, scan, browse, skip, glance, read, peruse, skim, chasten, disentangle, abridge, explain, elucidate, decipher, analyze, orderhit
verb hits, hitting or hit (mainly tr)
noun
- a person or thing that gains wide appealshe's a hit with everyone
- (as modifier)a hit record
- a murder carried out as the result of an underworld vendetta or rivalry
- (as modifier)a hit squad
Word Origin for hit
spot
noun
- Also called: spot ballthe white ball that is distinguished from the plain by a mark or spot
- the player using this ball
- denoting or relating to goods, currencies, or securities available for immediate delivery and paymentspot goods See also spot market, spot price
- involving immediate cash paymentspot sales
- immediately
- at the place in question
- in the best possible position to deal with a situation
- in an awkward predicament
- without moving from the place of one's location, etc
- (as modifier)our on-the-spot reporter
- some aspect of a character or situation that is susceptible to criticism
- a flaw in a person's knowledgeclassics is my weak spot
verb spots, spotting or spotted
Word Origin for spot
hit
late Old English hyttan, hittan "come upon, meet with, fall in with, 'hit' upon," from a Scandinavian source, cf. Old Norse hitta "to light upon, meet with," also "to hit, strike;" Swedish hitta "to find," Danish and Norwegian hitte "to hit, find," from Proto-Germanic *hitjanan. Related: Hitting. Meaning shifted in late Old English period to "strike," via "to reach with a blow or missile," and replaced Old English slean in this sense. Original sense survives in phrases such as hit it off (1780, earlier in same sense hit it, 1630s) and is revived in hit on (1970s).
Underworld slang meaning "to kill by plan" is 1955 (as a noun in this sense from 1970). To hit the bottle "drink alcohol" is from 1889. To hit the nail on the head (1570s) is from archery. Hit the road "leave" is from 1873; to hit (someone) up "request something" is from 1917. Hit and run is 1899 as a baseball play, 1924 as a driver failing to stop at a crash he caused. To not know what hit (one) is from 1923.
spot
c.1200, "moral stain," probably from Old English splott "a spot, blot, patch (of land)" infl. by Middle Dutch spotte "spot, speck." Other cognates are East Frisian spot "speck," North Frisian spot "speck, piece of ground," Old Norse spotti "small piece." It is likely that some of these are borrowed, but the exact evolution now is impossible to trace.
Meaning "speck, stain" is from mid-14c. The sense of "particular place" is from c.1300. Meaning "short interval in a broadcast for an advertisement or announcement" is from 1923. Proceeded by a number (e.g. five-spot) it originally was a term for "prison sentence" of that many years (1901, American English slang). To put (someone) on the spot "place in a difficult situation" is from 1928. Colloquial phrase to hit the spot "satisfy, be what is required" is from 1868. Spot check first attested 1933. Spot on "completely, accurately" is attested from 1920.
spot
early 15c., "to stain, sully, tarnish" from spot (n.). Sense of "to stain with spots" is attested from mid-15c. Meaning "to see and recognize," is from 1718, originally colloquial and applied to a criminal or suspected person; the general sense is from 1860. Related: Spotted; spotting.
hit
late 15c., "a rebuke;" 1590s as "a blow," from hit (v.). Meaning "successful play, song, person," etc., 1811, is from the verbal sense of "to hit the mark, succeed" (c.1400). Underworld slang meaning "a killing" is from 1970. Meaning "dose of narcotic" is 1951, from phrases such as hit the bottle.
spot
n.
v.
hit the high spots
Also, hit the high points. Pay attention only to the most important places or parts. For example, We only had a week in New York, but we managed to hit the high spots, or His speech was brief, but he hit all the high points. This idiom alludes to running a dustcloth or paintbrush over an uneven surface and touching only the raised portions. [c. 1900]
hit
In addition to the idioms beginning with hit
- hit a snag
- hit below the belt
- hit between the eyes
- hit bottom
- hit it big
- hit it off
- hit on
- hit on all cylinders
- hit one's stride
- hit one where one lives
- hit or miss
- hit out
- hit parade
- hit the books
- hit the bottle
- hit the bricks
- hit the bull's-eye
- hit the ceiling
- hit the deck
- hit the fan
- hit the ground running
- hit the hay
- hit the high spots
- hit the jackpot
- hit the mark
- hit the nail on the head
- hit the road
- hit the roof
- hit the sack
- hit the spot
- hit up for
- hit upon
also see:
- (hit) below the belt
- can't hit the broad side of a barn
- heavy hitter
- make a hit
- pinch hitter
- smash hit
spot
see blind spot; hit the high spots; hit the spot; in a bind (tight spot); in a fix (spot); Johnny-on-the-spot; knock the socks (spots) off; leopard cannot change its spots; on the spot; rooted to the spot; soft spot; x marks the spot.