spotter

American  

[spot-er] / ˈspɒt ər /

noun

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

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

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

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

5. a person or thing that spots.

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

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

8. 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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spotter British  

/ ˈspɒtə /

noun

1. 1. a person or thing that watches or observes

   2. ( as modifier )

      a spotter plane

2. a person who makes a hobby of watching for and noting numbers or types of trains, buses, etc

   a train spotter

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

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

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

6. films

   1. a person who checks against irregularities and inconsistencies

   2. a person who searches for new material, performers, etc

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Etymology

Origin of spotter

First recorded in 1605–15; spot + -er ¹

Example Sentences

The surge of immigration detention flights at Minneapolis-Saint Paul airport spurred plane spotter Nick Benson to shift from tracking rare and unusual aircraft to cataloging the removal of detainees from Minnesota.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

The macro and thematic equity research group founded by investor and trend spotter James van Geelen saw positive returns — up to 75% — on nearly all of their 2025 calls.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 18, 2025

He would be driving a spotter car mounted with plate readers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025

Julius, meanwhile, becomes a card-cheat spotter for a casino as an act of atonement for his thieving ways — it’s easy to buy Elordi’s take on ’50s rogue sensitivity.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2025

I think I arrived about three years too late to get a clear interpretation of the research proposal, but he gave some clues—a spotter plane and seals.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

Related Words

• agent
• detective
• informer
• investigator
• mole
• operative
• secret agent
• secret service
• undercover agent