Dictionary-Definition.com :: On the spot definition

Definition of 'on the spot'

adverb

Without delay or immediately; "we hired her on the spot"; "thought they were going to shoot us down on the spot"

adverb

In a difficult situation; "that question really put him on the spot"

adverb

At the place in question; there; "they were on the spot when it happened"; "it had to be decided by the man on the spot"

Definition of 'On the spot'

From: GCIDE

Spot \Spot\ (sp[o^]t), n. [Cf. Scot. & D. spat, Dan. spette, Sw. spott spittle, slaver; from the root of E. spit. See Spit to eject from the mouth, and cf. Spatter.]
1. A mark on a substance or body made by foreign matter; a blot; a place discolored. [1913 Webster]
Out, damned spot! Out, I say! --Shak. [1913 Webster]
2. A stain on character or reputation; something that soils purity; disgrace; reproach; fault; blemish. [1913 Webster]
Yet Chloe, sure, was formed without a spot. --Pope. [1913 Webster]
3. A small part of a different color from the main part, or from the ground upon which it is; as, the spots of a leopard; the spots on a playing card. [1913 Webster]
4. A small extent of space; a place; any particular place. "Fixed to one spot." --Otway. [1913 Webster]
That spot to which I point is Paradise. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
"A jolly place," said he, "in times of old! But something ails it now: the spot is cursed." --Wordsworth. [1913 Webster]
5. (Zool.) A variety of the common domestic pigeon, so called from a spot on its head just above its beak. [1913 Webster]
6. (Zool.) (a) A sciaenoid food fish (Liostomus xanthurus) of the Atlantic coast of the United States. It has a black spot behind the shoulders and fifteen oblique dark bars on the sides. Called also goody, Lafayette, masooka, and old wife. (b) The southern redfish, or red horse, which has a spot on each side at the base of the tail. See Redfish. [1913 Webster]
7. pl. Commodities, as merchandise and cotton, sold for immediate delivery. [Broker's Cant] [1913 Webster]
Crescent spot (Zool.), any butterfly of the family Melitaeidae having crescent-shaped white spots along the margins of the red or brown wings.
Spot lens (Microscopy), a condensing lens in which the light is confined to an annular pencil by means of a small, round diaphragm (the spot), and used in dark-field illumination; -- called also spotted lens.
Spot rump (Zool.), the Hudsonian godwit ({Limosa haemastica}).
Spots on the sun. (Astron.) See Sun spot, ander Sun.
On the spot, or Upon the spot, immediately; before moving; without changing place; as, he made his decision on the spot.
It was determined upon the spot. --Swift. [1913 Webster]
Syn: Stain; flaw; speck; blot; disgrace; reproach; fault; blemish; place; site; locality. [1913 Webster]

Synonyms of 'on the spot'

From: Moby Thesaurus

aboard,
among us,
apace,
as of now,
as things are,
at once,
at present,
at this juncture,
at this moment,
at this point,
at this time,
between two fires,
but now,
cornered,
cursory,
decisively,
directly,
endangered,
even now,
expeditious,
expeditiously,
festinate,
feverish,
flying,
for the nonce,
for this occasion,
forthwith,
furious,
hasty,
here,
here and now,
hereabout,
hereabouts,
hereat,
hereinto,
hereto,
hereunto,
hic et nunc,
hither,
hitherward,
hitherwards,
hurried,
immediate,
immediately,
imperiled,
in a bind,
in a fix,
in a mess,
in a pickle,
in a predicament,
in a scrape,
in a spot,
in danger,
in deep water,
in desperate case,
in Dutch,
in extremis,
in jeopardy,
in no time,
in our time,
in these days,
in this place,
in this vicinity,
in trouble,
instant,
instantaneously,
instanter,
instantly,
jeopardized,
just here,
just now,
just then,
last-minute,
momentaneously,
momentarily,
momently,
now,
nowadays,
on board,
on Queer Street,
on the dot,
on the instant,
on the nail,
passing,
PDQ,
pretty damned quick,
prompt,
promptly,
pronto,
quick,
quickly,
right away,
right off,
slap-bang,
slapdash,
smartly,
snap,
somewhere about,
speedily,
speedy,
straightaway,
straightway,
subito,
summarily,
superficial,
swift,
swiftly,
this day,
this night,
threatened,
to this place,
today,
tonight,
urgent,
with all speed,
with us,
without delay,
without further delay

'On the spot' definitions:

Definition of 'on the spot'

Definition of 'On the spot'

Synonyms of 'on the spot'

Words containing 'On the spot'