spotted

adjective

spot·​ted ˈspä-təd How to pronounce spotted (audio)
1
: marked with spots
2
: being sullied : tarnished
3
: characterized by the appearance of spots

Examples of spotted in a Sentence

the spotted tablecloth clashed with the stripes on the wallpaper not surprisingly, the white cow and black bull had a spotted calf
Recent Examples on the Web Many of you have probably heard of jumping worms or the spotted lanternfly. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Feb. 2024 So while it is advised to kill certain invasive species such as the spotted lantern fly, the Jorōs can be left alone, Davis said. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 25 Feb. 2024 Blooms vary in color from creamy white to dark pink and purple with spotted throats. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2024 The disease gets its name from a spotted red rash that may appear. City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2023 With no images of Carmen or additional information about Milne's mascot readily available, Riordan and illustrator Mark Burgess teamed up to create an adorable, spotted dog that is just as courageous as her owner. Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 21 Sep. 2023 This lake also holds large spotted and smallmouth bass, with the lake-record spot weighing 4.35 and a bronzeback tipping the scales at 6.16 pounds. Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 21 Sep. 2023 The spotted handfish is one of seven handfish species local to Tasmania and one of 14 in the world. Sara Kiley Watson, Popular Science, 14 Sep. 2023 The spotted lantern fly, on the other hand, has received more research money and international media attention, experts that spoke with NBC said. Camille Fine, USA TODAY, 7 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spotted.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spotted was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near spotted

Cite this Entry

“Spotted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spotted. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

spotted

adjective
spot·​ted
ˈspät-əd
: marked with spots
a spotted cat

More from Merriam-Webster on spotted

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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