black spot

noun

1
: any of several bacterial or fungal diseases of plants characterized by black spots or blotches especially on the leaves
2
chiefly British : a dangerous or troublesome place or area
… Wisteria Lane has always been a major accident black spot.Jane Simon

Examples of black spot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The lynx is caught mid-stride, tawny coat and black spots illuminated by the flash. Emily Soreghan, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Oct. 2024 What do Asian lady beetles look like? Asian lady beetles typically have 19 black spots, which can be well-defined or appear as faint traces on their wings, according to the University of Minnesota. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 17 Oct. 2024 As women’s suffrage momentum grew, spreading from western to eastern U.S. states, the map had ever-fewer black spots. Christina Elizabeth Dando, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024 Juveniles, known as nymphs, which resemble small, wingless black to red beetles with white spots, are found in the early summer, with adults, characterized by gray to brown outer wings with black spots, emerging in late summer. Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 11 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for black spot 

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of black spot was in 1832

Dictionary Entries Near black spot

Cite this Entry

“Black spot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black%20spot. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

black spot

noun
: a spotting of frozen meat caused by an imperfect fungus of the genus Cladosporium (C. herbarum)

More from Merriam-Webster on black spot

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!