English · Slang Historical

spot

Preserved but no longer current.

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To mark, to recognise. Originally an Americanism, but now general. "I SPOTTED him (or it) at once."

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Nhận biết, xác định. Ban đầu là thuật ngữ Mỹ, giờ được sử dụng rộng rãi

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)

Where it’s used: Origin British & Irish English

Sources & notes

Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.

Topics: Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “spot” mean?

To mark, to recognise. Originally an Americanism, but now general. "I SPOTTED him (or it) at once."

Is “spot” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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