| spot | 1. A mark on a substance or body made by foreign matter; a blot; a place discoloured. "Out, damned spot! Out, I say!" (Shak) 2. A stain on character or reputation; something that soils purity; disgrace; reproach; fault; blemish. "Yet Chloe, sure, was formed without a spot." (Pope) 3. A small part of a different colour from the main part, or from the ground upon which it is; as, the spots of a leopard; the spots on a playing card. 4. A small extent of space; a place; any particular place. "Fixed to one spot." "That spot to which I point is Paradise." (Milton) ""A jolly place," said he, "in times of old! But something ails it now: the spot is cursed."" (Wordsworth) 5. <zoology> A variety of the common domestic pigeon, so called from a spot on its head just above its beak. 6. <zoology> 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. The southern redfish, or red horse, which has a spot on each side at the base of the tail. See Redfish. 7. Commodities, as merchandise and cotton, sold for immediate delivery. Crescent spot, the Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica). Spots on the sun. <astronomy> See Sun spot, ander Sun. On, or Upon, the spot, immediately; before moving; without changing place. "It was determined upon the spot." (Swift) Synonym: Stain, flaw, speck, blot, disgrace, reproach, fault, blemish, place, site, locality. Origin: 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. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| spot desmosome | <cell biology> Macula adherens: See: desmosome. Origin: Gr. Soma = body (18 Nov 1997) |
| spot film | A radiograph made during the course of an examination under fluoroscopic control, with a device attached to the fluoroscope. (05 Mar 2000) |
| spot seeding | Seeding of woody plant seeds on random spots to blend in with the landscape. (09 Oct 1997) |
| spot test for infectious mononucleosis | A slide test widely used for the diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis, based on the principle that the heterophil antibodies that occur in the serum of patients with infectious mononucleosis are absorbed by beef red cells but not by guinea pig kidney cells; thus, when horse red cells (which provoke heterophil antibodies) are mixed with patient serum and agglutination occurs in the presence of beef red cells, the presumptive diagnosis is infectious mononucleosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| spot-film radiography | An X-ray of a localised region, usually under study by fluoroscopy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| spotted | Marked with spots; as, a spotted garment or character. "The spotted panther. <medicine> " Spotted fever, a name applied to various eruptive fevers, especially. To typhus fever and cerebro-spinal meningitis. <botany> Spotted tree, an Australian tree (Flindersia maculosa); so called because its bark falls off in spots. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| spotted fever | <infectious disease> An acute febrile (feverish) disease initially recognised in the Rocky Mountain states, caused by Rickettsia rickettsii transmitted by hard-shelled (ixodid) ticks. Occurs only in the Western Hemisphere. The disease is characterised by sudden onset of headache, chills and fever which can persist for 2-3 weeks, muscle pain. A characteristic rash appears on the extremities and trunk about the 4th day of illness. The rickettsiae grow within damaged cells lining blood vessels which may become blocked by clots. Blood vessel inflammation (vasculitis) is widespread Early recognition of the condition and prompt antibiotic treatment is important in reducing mortality. Synonym: spotted fever, tick fever, and tick typhus. (25 Jun 1999) |
| spotted sickness | An infectious disease of the skin caused by treponema carateum that occurs only in the western hemisphere. Age of onset is between 10 and 20 years of age. This condition is characterised by marked changes in the skin colour and is believed to be transmitted by direct person-to-person contact. (12 Dec 1998) |
| spotting | A slight discharge of blood via the vagina, especially as a side effect of oral contraceptives. (18 Nov 1997) |
| age spot | <dermatology> A skin disorder seen with aging (or sun exposure) where there are flat patches of increased pigmentation on the skin. They are nonserious, benign and generally more important cosmetically. The most commonly appear on sun exposed areas such as the forehead and the back of the hands. Avoidance of the sun and the use of a sunscreen (SPF of 15) can reduce the incidence of these lesions. Creams and lotions are available which bleach the skin. Cryotherapy can be used in some cases. (27 Sep 1997) |
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| blind spot | The negative scotoma in the visual field, corresponding to the optic disk. Synonym: blind spot. (05 Mar 2000) |
| blue spot | A bluish stain on the skin caused by the bites of fleas or lice, especially pediculosis pubis. Synonym: blue spot, tache bleuatre. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cafe-au-lait spot | <dermatology> A pigmented cutaneous lesion, that can range from light to dark brown, and is due to an excess of melanosomes in the malpighian cells, rather than to an excess of melanocytes. Caf |
| Mariotte's blind spot | The portion of the optic nerve seen in the fundus with the ophthalmoscope. It is formed by the meeting of all the retinal ganglion cell axons as they enter the optic nerve. Because the retina at the optic disk has no photoreceptors there is a corresponding blind spot in the visual field. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cherry-red spot | The ophthalmoscopic appearance of the normal choroid beneath the fovea centralis, appearing as a red spot surrounded by white retinal oedema in central artery closure or lipid infiltration in sphingolipidosis. Synonym: Tay's cherry-red spot. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cherry-red spot myoclonus syndrome | <syndrome> A neuronal storage disorder in children characterised by a cherry red spot at the macula, progressive myoclonus, and easily controlled seizures; the result of sialidase deficiency. Type 1 is characterised by normal body habitus, cherry red macula, myoclonus, and normal beta-galactosidase levels; type 2 by short stature, bony abnormalities, and deficient beta-galactosidase. Synonym: sialidosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| mongolian spot | <dermatology> A benign bluish or bruised-appearing birthmark that is usually located on the lower back or buttocks. More common in dark-skinned races and may persist for months to years. (27 Sep 1997) |
| white spot | Gray-white or white, rounded or irregularly shaped, slightly opaque patches or spots that are sometimes observed postmortem in the epicardium, especially in middle-aged or older persons; they result from fibrous thickening, and sometimes hyalinization, of the epicardium; similar lesions may also occur in the visceral layer of the peritoneum. Synonym: macula lactea, macula tendinea, tache blanche, tache laiteuse, tendinous spot, white spot. (05 Mar 2000) |
| white spot disease | Small discrete, white, waxy, indurated lesions due to localised degenerative changes in the fibrous tissue. Synonym: white spot disease. (05 Mar 2000) |
| corneal spot | A moderately dense opacity of the cornea. Synonym: corneal spot. (05 Mar 2000) |
| saccular spot | The oval neuroepithelial sensory receptor in the anterior wall of the saccule; hair cells of the neuroepithelium support the statoconial membrane and have terminal arborizations of vestibular nerve fibres around their bodies. Synonym: macula sacculi, saccular spot. (05 Mar 2000) |
| helminthosporium leaf spot | A plant disease affecting some grasses which is caused by parasitic fungi from the genus Helminthosporium and which appears as discoloured spots. (09 Oct 1997) |
| hot spot | <molecular biology> A particular area of DNA which is especially prone to spontaneous mutations or recombinations. (09 Oct 1997) |
| hypnogenic spot | A pressure-sensitive point on the body of certain susceptible persons, which, when pressed, causes the induction of sleep. (05 Mar 2000) |