Stain vs. Spot: What's the Difference?

To discolor, soil, or spot

A mark on a surface differing sharply in color from its surroundings.

To bring into disrepute; taint or tarnish

A blemish, mark, or pimple on the skin.

To change the color of (a piece of wood, for example) by applying a stain.

A stain or blot.

To treat (a specimen for the microscope) with a reagent or dye in order to identify cell or tissue structures or microorganisms.

A mark or pip on a playing card; a spade, club, diamond, or heart.

To produce or receive discolorations

A playing card with a specified number of such marks on it indicating its value.

A discolored or soiled spot or smudge

(Informal) A piece of paper money worth a specified number of dollars

A diminishment of one's moral character or good reputation by being associated with something disgraceful.

A small area

A liquid substance applied especially to wood that penetrates the surface and imparts a rich color.

A location or position

A reagent or dye used for staining microscopic specimens.

A point of interest

A discoloured spot or area.

A position or an item in an ordered arrangement

A blemish on one's character or reputation.

(Football) The position of the ball for the line of scrimmage as determined by a referee after a play.

A substance used to soak into a surface and colour it.

(Informal) A situation, especially a troublesome one.

A reagent or dye used to stain microscope specimens so as to make some structures visible.

A flaw in one's reputation or character

(heraldry) Any of a number of non-standard tinctures used in modern heraldry.

A short presentation or commercial on television or radio between major programs

(transitive) To discolour.

(Informal) A spotlight.

To taint or tarnish someone's character or reputation

Pl. spot or spots A small croaker (Leiostomus xanthurus) of North American Atlantic waters, having a dark mark above each pectoral fin and valued as a food and game fish.

To coat a surface with a stain

Chiefly British A small amount; a bit

(intransitive) To become stained; to take a stain.

To soil with spots

To treat (a microscopic specimen) with a dye, especially one that dyes specific features

To decorate with spots; dot.

To cause to seem inferior or soiled by comparison.

To bring disgrace to; besmirch

To discolor by the application of foreign matter; to make foul; to spot; as, to stain the hand with dye; armor stained with blood.

To place in a particular location; situate precisely

To color, as wood, glass, paper, cloth, or the like, by processes affecting, chemically or otherwise, the material itself; to tinge with a color or colors combining with, or penetrating, the substance; to dye; as, to stain wood with acids, colored washes, paint rubbed in, etc.; to stain glass.

(Football) To position (the ball) determining the line of scrimmage after a play has been completed.

To spot with guilt or infamy; to bring reproach on; to blot; to soil; to tarnish.

To detect or discern, especially visually; spy

To cause to seem inferior or soiled by comparison.

To remove spots from, as in a laundry.

To give or receive a stain; to grow dim.

(Sports) To yield a favorable scoring margin to

A discoloration by foreign matter; a spot; as, a stain on a garment or cloth.

(Sports) To act as a spotter for (a gymnast, for example).

A natural spot of a color different from the gound.

(Informal) To lend

Taint of guilt; tarnish; disgrace; reproach.

To become marked with spots

Cause of reproach; shame.

To cause a discoloration or make a stain.

A tincture; a tinge.

To locate targets from the air during combat or training missions.

A soiled or discolored appearance;

Made, paid, or delivered immediately

(microscopy) a dye or other coloring material that is used in microscopy to make structures visible

Of, relating to, or being a market in which payment or delivery is immediate

The state of being covered with unclean things

Involving random or selective instances or actions

A symbol of disgrace or infamy;

Presented between major radio or television programs

An act that brings discredit to the person who does it;

A round or irregular patch on the surface of a thing having a different color, texture etc. and generally round in shape.

Color with a liquid dye or tint;

A stain or disfiguring mark.

Produce or leave stains;

A pimple, papule or pustule.

Make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically;

A small, unspecified amount or quantity.

Color for microscopic study;

A bill of five-dollar or ten-dollar denomination in dollars.

A location or area.

A parking space.

(sports) An official determination of placement.

A bright lamp; a spotlight.

A brief advertisement or program segment on television.

A difficult situation.

One who spots (supports or assists a maneuver, or is prepared to assist if safety dictates); a spotter.

(soccer) Penalty spot.

The act of spotting or noticing something.

A variety of the common domestic pigeon, so called from a spot on its head just above the beak.

A food fish (Leiostomus xanthurus) of the Atlantic coast of the United States, with a black spot behind the shoulders and fifteen oblique dark bars on the sides.

The southern redfish, or novern=1 (Sciaenops ocellatus), which has a spot on each side at the base of the tail.

Commodities, such as merchandise and cotton, sold for immediate delivery.

An autosoliton.

(finance) A decimal point; point.

Any of various points marked on the table, from which balls are played, in snooker, pool, billiards, etc.

Any of the balls marked with spots in the game of pool, which one player aims to pot, the other player taking the stripes.

(transitive) To see, find; to pick out, notice, locate, distinguish or identify.

(finance) To loan a small amount of money to someone.

(ambitransitive) To stain; to leave a spot (on).

To remove, or attempt to remove, a stain.

To retouch a photograph on film to remove minor flaws.

To support or assist a maneuver, or to be prepared to assist if safety dictates.

(dance) To keep the head and eyes pointing in a single direction while turning.

To stain; to blemish; to taint; to disgrace; to tarnish, as reputation.

To cut or chip (timber) in preparation for hewing.

To place an object at a location indicated by a spot.

To position (an aircraft) on the deck of an aircraft carrier ready for launch by catapult.

To position (a locomotive or car) at a predetermined point, e.g., for loading or unloading.

Available on the spot; for immediate payment or delivery.

A mark on a substance or body made by foreign matter; a blot; a place discolored.

A stain on character or reputation; something that soils purity; disgrace; reproach; fault; blemish.

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.

A small extent of space; a place; any particular place.

A variety of the common domestic pigeon, so called from a spot on its head just above its beak.

A sciænoid 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.

Commodities, as merchandise and cotton, sold for immediate delivery.

To make visible marks upon with some foreign matter; to discolor in or with spots; to stain; to cover with spots or figures; as, to spot a garment; to spot paper.

To mark or note so as to insure recognition; to recognize; to detect; as, to spot a criminal.

To stain; to blemish; to taint; to disgrace; to tarnish, as reputation; to asperse.

To become stained with spots.

Lit., being on the spot, or place;

A point located with respect to surface features of some region;

A short section or illustration (as between radio or tv programs or in a magazine) that is often used for advertising

A blemish made by dirt;

A small contrasting part of something;

A section of an entertainment that is assigned to a specific performer or performance;

An outstanding characteristic;

A business establishment for entertainment;

A job in an organization;

A slight attack of illness;

A small quantity;

A mark on a playing card (shape depending on the suit)

A lamp that produces a strong beam of light to illuminate a restricted area; used to focus attention of a stage performer

A playing card with a specified number of pips on it to indicate its value;

An act that brings discredit to the person who does it;

Catch sight of

Mar or impair with a flaw;

Make a spot or mark onto;

Become spotted;

Mark with a spot or spots so as to allow easy recognition;