splotch
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
-
to be susceptible to stains or blots; show or retain stains, blots, or spots of dirt or liquid.
Don't buy that tablecloth—the material splotches easily.
-
to cause or be liable to cause stains, blots, or spots.
Be careful of that paint—it splotches.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of splotch
First recorded in 1595–1605; origin uncertain
Explanation
A splotch is a messy or unevenly shaped spot. Some people get bright red splotches on their faces when they blush. Be careful when you're eating something messy in your brand new shirt—you might end up with splotches of barbecue sauce or watermelon juice all over yourself. You can also use this informal word as a verb: "The artist began to splotch pink paint randomly across the canvas." Splotch first appeared around 1600, possibly from a combination of spot and blot. The similar splott in Old English meant "a patch of land."
Vocabulary lists containing splotch
A Good Kind of Trouble
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Prisoner B-3087
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Hello, Universe
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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.
He was in molt, a sketchy splotch of red and black while he waited for his new plumage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
A lone splotch of orange poppies was also visible.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 2024
Doc pulled a pen from his shirt pocket and outlined the outer edge of a fuzzy, misshapen splotch about the size of my thumb.
From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2024
About the size of my thumbprint, gray with white and black bands and a distinctive orange splotch on its wing, I almost missed it.
From National Geographic ● Dec. 7, 2023
What are you going to do now, you cold splotch?
From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu
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.
