spotter

[ spot-er ]

/ ˈspɒt ər /

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See synonyms for spotter on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person employed to remove spots from clothing, especially at a dry-cleaning establishment.

(in civil defense) a civilian who watches for enemy airplanes.

Informal. a person employed to watch the activity and behavior of others, especially employees, as for evidence of dishonesty.

Military. an observer at a forward position who singles out targets for gunners.

a person or thing that spots.

(in small-arms practice firing) a small black disk attached to the target to make more prominent the places where a bullet has hit.

an assistant to a sportscaster who provides the names of the players chiefly involved in each play of a game, especially a football game.

Gymnastics, Tumbling. a person who is stationed in the most effective place to guard against an injury to a performer in the act of executing a maneuver.

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Origin of spotter

First recorded in 1605–15; spot + -er¹

Words nearby spotter

spotted skunk, spotted sunfish, Spotted Tail, spotted wilt, spotted wintergreen, spotter, spot test, spottie, spot TV, spotty, spot-weld

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use spotter in a sentence

The spotters communicate by radio, and the guided bombs read GPS coordinates for more accurate strikes.
Here’s how the US Army plans on winning the wars of our future|Rob Verger|August 12, 2021|Popular-Science
Cloud spotters could see a catalogue of types slowly drifting across the blue.
Among Tuesday’s attractions: It was nothing like our stormy Monday|Martin Weil|June 16, 2021|Washington Post
Laviolette said after the game that Samsonov was pulled by a concussion protocol spotter.
Ilya Samsonov and the Capitals are not great as the Islanders score eight|Samantha Pell|April 2, 2021|Washington Post
If a tornado warning is issued for your location, it means a tornado has been indicated by radar or seen by a storm spotter and you should seek shelter immediately in the lowest floor of a strong building in an interior room.
Updates: Tornado watch for areas east of District|Jason Samenow|November 30, 2020|Washington Post

I think it was crucial that we had three dirt bikes and spotters constantly.
How We Saved Our Neighborhood from a Wildfire|Dain Zaffke|September 2, 2020|Outside Online
"It's probably that cow-boy spotter of Norcross's, but he can't get away," Hatch was gritting—meaning Tarbell, probably.
The Wreckers|Francis Lynde
He was still below the alleged spotter with its straw-stuffed observer when Tam dived for him.
Tam O' The Scoots|Edgar Wallace
Not the least dangerous of the many services the airplane is performing is that of the artillery “spotter.”
The Romance of Aircraft|Lawrence Yard Smith
Or he may have to report the results of a mock bombardment, and thus prepare himself for the duties of the artillery “spotter.”
The Romance of Aircraft|Lawrence Yard Smith
We were watching the top of the hill and saw the little L4 spotter planes flying low and directing the artillery fire.
The Biography of a Rabbit|Roy Benson

British Dictionary definitions for spotter

spotter

/ (ˈspɒtə) /

noun

a person or thing that watches or observes
(as modifier)a spotter plane

a person who makes a hobby of watching for and noting numbers or types of trains, buses, etca train spotter

military a person who orders or advises adjustment of fire on a target by observations

a person, esp one engaged in civil defence, who watches for enemy aircraft

US informal an employee assigned to spy on his colleagues in order to check on their honesty

films

a person who checks against irregularities and inconsistencies
a person who searches for new material, performers, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

spotter

Origin of spotter

Words nearby spotter

Words related to spotter

How to use spotter in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for spotter