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, spot test for infectious mononucleosis, spottie, spot TV, spotty

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

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