spectator
Americannoun
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a person who looks on or watches; onlooker; observer.
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a person who is present at and views a spectacle, display, or the like; member of an audience.
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Also called spectator shoe. a white shoe with a perforated wing tip and back trim, traditionally of dark brown, dark blue, or black but sometimes of a lighter color.
noun
Other Word Forms
- spectatorial adjective
Etymology
Origin of spectator
1580–90; < Latin spectātor, equivalent to spectā ( re ), frequentative of specere to look, regard + -tor -tor
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.
Tunisia toiled to create chances in extra time as heavy rain fell -- the conditions forcing many spectators in the largely uncovered stadium to abandon their seats.
From Barron's
Despite the cold and rain, thousands of spectators filled the sidelines of the 137th Rose Parade route in Pasadena to celebrate the start of 2026.
From Los Angeles Times
But horse racing is decades past the days when spectators lined up to watch the sport.
From Los Angeles Times
This sentiment was shared by some of the spectators.
From BBC
Campers and overnight spectators will set up on sidewalks along the parade route beginning Wednesday morning.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
