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9 PHRASE If you are on the spot , you are at the actual place where something is happening. □  …areas where troops are on the spot and protecting civilians.

10 PHRASE If you do something on the spot , you do it immediately. □  James was called to see the producer and got the job on the spot.

11 PHRASE If you put someone on the spot , you cause them to have to answer a difficult question or make a difficult decision. □  He put me on the spot because he invited me in front of his mum and I didn't want to go. □  Even clever people are not terribly clever when put on the spot.

12rooted to the spot → see rooted

13to have a soft spot for someone → see soft

spo t che ck (spot checks ) also spot-check N‑COUNT If someone carries out a spot check , they examine one thing from a group in order to make sure that it is satisfactory.

spot|less /spɒ tləs/ ADJ Something that is spotless is completely clean. □  Each morning cleaners make sure everything is spotless. ●  spot|less|ly ADV [ADV adj] □  The house had huge, spotlessly clean rooms.

spot|light /spɒ tla I t/ (spotlights , spotlighting , spotlighted )

1 N‑COUNT A spotlight is a powerful light, for example in a theatre, which can be directed so that it lights up a small area.

2 VERB If something spotlights a particular problem or situation, it makes people notice it and think about it. □ [V n] …a new book spotlighting female entrepreneurs.

3 PHRASE Someone or something that is in the spotlight is getting a great deal of public attention. □  Webb is back in the spotlight.

spot|lit /spɒ tl I t/ ADJ Something that is spotlit is brightly lit up by one or more spotlights. □  She caught a clear view upwards of the spotlit temple.

spo t-o n also spot on ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] Spot-on means exactly correct or accurate. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □  Schools were told their exam information had to be spot-on and accurate.

spot|ted /spɒ t I d/

1 ADJ Something that is spotted has a pattern of spots on it. □  …hand-painted spotted cups and saucers in green and blue. □ [+ with ] His cheeks were spotted with blackheads.

2 → see also spot

spot|ter /spɒ tə ^r / (spotters ) N‑COUNT [n N ] A spotter of something such as trains or aeroplanes is someone whose hobby is watching and finding out about them. [BRIT ] □  I was a devoted train spotter.

-spotting /-spɒt I ŋ/ COMB -spotting combines with nouns to form nouns which describe the activity of looking out for things such as birds or trains as a hobby. □  …train-spotting. □  …bird-spotting.

spot|ty /spɒ ti/ (spottier , spottiest ) ADJ Someone who is spotty has spots on their face. □  She was rather fat, and her complexion was muddy and spotty.

spous|al /spaʊ zəl/ ADJ [ADJ n] Spousal rights and duties are ones which you gain if you are married. [AM , FORMAL ]

spouse /spaʊ s/ (spouses ) N‑COUNT Someone's spouse is the person they are married to.

spout /spaʊ t/ (spouts , spouting , spouted )

1 VERB If something spouts liquid or fire, or if liquid or fire spout out of something, it comes out very quickly with a lot of force. □ [V n] He replaced the boiler when the last one began to spout flames. □ [V n prep] The main square has a fountain that spouts water 40 feet into the air. □ [V adv/prep] In a storm, water spouts out of the blowhole just like a whale.

2 N‑COUNT A spout of liquid is a long stream of it which is coming out of something very forcefully.