spottern.
/ˈspɒtə/, U.S. /ˈspɑdər/ a. A person who stains or soils something; (also) a person employed to apply decorative spots to something. Obsolete.
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the world > matter > colour > variegation > spot of colour > [noun] > one who makes spots
spotter1611
1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Barbouilleur,..a blotter, spotter, smutter, besmearer of.
1688 G. Miege Great French Dict. i. sig. G2v/3 Brodeuse de Gaze, a Spotter of Hoods, a Woman that spots Hoods.
1755 S. Johnson Dict. Eng. Lang. Spotter, one that spots; one that maculates.
?1881 Census Eng. & Wales: Instr. Clerks classifying Occupations & Ages (?1885) 70 [Persons employed in] Lace Finishing:..Spotter, Stamper [etc.].
b. A device for making spots on watch plates (cf. spotting n. 2c). Obsolete.
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the world > time > instruments for measuring time > watch > [noun] > making watches > tools or materials used in watchmaking
wig-wag1582
turn-bench1680
fusee-engine1858
parachute1865
fraise1874
pinion-file1875
watch-oil1876
bouchon1881
spotter1881
bench winder1884
knee-punch1884
pinion bottoming file1884
pinion gauge1884
stake1884
wax lathe1884
turner1891
1881 F. J. Britten Watch & Clockmakers' Handbk. (ed. 4) 130 A little pressure on a knob at the top brings the spotter into action.
1884 F. J. Britten Watch & Clockmakers' Handbk. (new ed.) 245 This upright spindle carrying the spotter is kept constantly rotating by a band from a foot wheel.
2.
a. A person who acts as a lookout, esp. in the context of criminal activity; a person who searches for suitable places or victims to attack, rob, etc.
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the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > one who sees > [noun] > watcher or look-out > criminals'
stander1610
spotter1850
1850 ‘N. Buntline’ G'hals of N.Y. viii. 69 The lady looking after him a moment—just long enough to enable the young spotter to take a complete view of her features.
1903 A. M. Binstead Pitcher in Paradise v. 127 So vigilant and observant was that solitary optic that its owner was the chosen ‘spotter’ of a most relentless band of racecourse pickpockets.
1925 J. C. Goodwin Queer Fish xvi. 153 I surmise that they are ‘spotters’, posted where they are to warn the proprietor of the card-room should the police or their informers put in an appearance.
1996 D. Brimson & E. Brimson Everywhere we Go vii. 100 Spotters..will be hard at work sorting out where and when attacks or ambushes are to take place long before their actual mobs arrive at their destination.
2007 P. Hawley Stigma iv. 27 Calderon scanned the parking structure for a spotter, someone with overly attentive eyes marking pigeons for the pickpocket.
b. Chiefly North American. A person employed or hired to monitor people, esp. the employees of a company, in order to detect irregular or illegal behaviour; a spy, an informer. Cf. spot n.2 Now historical.
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the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > one who sees > [noun] > spy or scout
showerOE
spierc1275
aspy1297
overlookerc1484
spial1548
scout1585
speculationa1616
spion1615
spotter1867
spot1893
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > procedures used in spying > [noun] > private detection > person engaged in > employed by a business, etc.
spotter1867
house detective1891
labour spy1903
1867 Argument Edwards Pierrepont 116 I wanted to satisfy myself whether he was a spotter of the Erie Railroad Company.
1883 American 6 333 A conductor..had a private detective arrested for following him about, and the ‘spotter’ was fined ten dollars by a magistrate.
1911 Amer. Mag. Jan. 372/2 An hour later, when satisfied I was not a spotter, he sold me excellent whisky.
1982 F. Morn Eye that never Sleeps v. 108 The ‘testing’ of employees was construed as tempting honest men into crime. At best, the spotter was a nuisance.
2003 C. Heron Booze vi. 188 Two prohibitionist ‘spotters’ were roughed up in a roadside attack.
3. In target shooting: a person who notes the point where a shot strikes. Cf. marker n. 3c. Now rare.
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society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > competitive shooting > [noun] > marker
marker1859
spotter1875
range marker1877
1875 A. B. Leech Irish Riflemen in Amer. iv. 58 A gentleman from each side was put at each target as a ‘spotter’.
1893 Daily News 21 July 5/6 Surridge got a bull ‘just in at ten o'clock’, to use the spotter's descriptive slang.
1914 Rep. Adjutant-Gen. Pennsylvania 290 The..spotter shall not be permitted to shield a competitor from the wind, throw a shade upon his sight, or aid him in any other way.
1962 Altoona (Pa.) Mirror 24 Feb. 17 (caption) Spotter—Sgt. Oscar Grim..uses a spotting scope to check the results of the boys' shooting.
4. Military.
a. A person who determines the position of an enemy target so as to allow a gunner to direct his or her fire. Also: an aircraft used for this purpose. Cf. Compounds.
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society > armed hostility > warrior > soldier > soldier with special duty > [noun] > identifier of target
aim-crier1597
spotter1904
society > travel > air or space travel > a means of conveyance through the air > aeroplane > [noun] > used in warfare > aircraft marking target for bombers
spotter1904
pathfinder1943
1904 Army & Navy Reg. 12 Nov. 881 Lieutenant Litchfield..is a good spotter and as a result, every ship he goes to becomes the best shooting ship in His Majesty's Navy.
1918 E. M. Roberts Flying Fighter 108 The fire was being directed from the ground from what the battery commander called the O.P., or observation post. He sent me up to that post with one of the spotters.
1940 Sun (Baltimore) 13 Aug. 1/7 The Germans..have mounted long-range guns between Calais and Boulogne..but they will be simply shooting into the blue unless they have effective spotters aloft.
1977 ‘O. Jacks’ Autumn Heroes vii. 96 ‘Spotter plane, boss.’..‘I don't like the idea of a spotter.’
2002 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 28 Mar. 31/2 In Afghanistan the strategy of using American spotters on the ground to identify targets for bombers turned out to be successful in driving the Taliban out of its strongholds.
b. A person who watches for and identifies a specified object, esp. enemy aircraft. Also: an aircraft, vessel, etc., used for this purpose. Also with modifying word indicating the thing watched for. Cf. roof-spotter n. at roof n. Compounds 3.
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society > armed hostility > warrior > soldier > soldier with special duty > [noun] > others
artificera1553
man-catcher1649
stormer1655
sallier1685
pressmana1694
camp colour-man1753
sharpshooter1802
train soldier1833
escalader1849
adviser1854
outflanker1854
observer1870
spiker1884
mopper-up1917
slushy1919
wire-cutter1922
televisionary1925
flash-spotter1930
spotter1931
parashooter1940
parashot1940
bunker buster1944
sound-ranger1978
yomper1982
technical1992
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > war vessel > [noun] > look-out or reconnaissance vessel
spy-boat1637
guard-ship1689
station ship1693
scout-ship1694
guard-boat1696
scout1706
lookout1761
lookout ship1762
watch-boat1789
patrol boat1854
spy-ship1858
picket boat1861
picket launch1864
scout vessel1869
vedette boat1884
picket ship1898
coastal1912
P boat1917
spotter1931
radar picket1945
society > travel > air or space travel > a means of conveyance through the air > aeroplane > [noun] > used in warfare > scout or reconnaissance aircraft
scout1909
air scout1910
spotter plane1923
spotter1931
spotter aircraft1932
shufti-kite1944
1931 Pop. Aviation Jan. 37/1 Such are some of the many experiences which many of our mine spotters went through after the war in cleaning up the seas and making them clear for peace-time navigation.
1941 Times Lit. Suppl. 29 Mar. 147 Spotters..whose duty it is to distinguish between the many types of aircraft seen over war-time Britain.
1990 Forest & Conservation Hist. 34 23 During World War II she became an enemy-airplane spotter, a task assumed by many Forest Service wives.
2009 New Yorker 9 Nov. 59/1 In several instances, armed drones killed children who were on roof-tops. Were they ‘spotters’, as the Israelis speculated, or children at play?
5.
a. With of or modifying word. A person who looks for, notices, or identifies a specified thing, phenomenon, quality, etc.See also talent-spotter n. at talent n. Compounds, trend-spotter n. at trend n. Compounds.
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the mind > attention and judgement > discovery > [noun] > one who finds out
inventor1509
discoverer1576
repertor1650
spotter1913
the mind > attention and judgement > attention > notice, observation > [noun] > one who takes note
marker1531
observer1555
digester1713
observist1827
spotter1913
1913 Washington Post 30 Mar. 10/2 (heading) New York crowds becoming expert spotters of false hirstutical adornment.
1954 Times Pict. (Dublin) 4 Sept. 6/2 He was a first rate bargain-spotter.
1991 Antique Collector Dec. 73/2 Cult-spotters should remember that The Simpsons started out as a filler on the Tracey Ullman show.
2014 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 20 Nov. 14/3 A key spotter of connections.
b. A talent scout; = talent-spotter n. at talent n. Compounds.
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society > occupation and work > worker > employer > [noun] > one who seeks or recruits employees
scout1905
headhunter1918
bird dog1919
spotter1935
recruiter1970
the world > action or operation > ability > [noun] > ability or talent > talent spotting > one who
spotter1935
talent-spotter1944
1935 A. J. Cronin Stars look Down i. ix. 70 I heard the Tynecassel spotter was coming down to watch ye at the next Sleescale match.
1976 Eastern Evening News (Norwich) 13 Dec. 4/3 Chic is heavily involved in all forms of entertainment and is the local ‘spotter’ for television's ‘New Faces’.
2013 M. Calvin Nowhere Men iv. 60 At this level you need spotters, seeing as many [football] games as they can.
c. British. A person who observes and notes the details of a certain class of objects, esp. trains, as a hobby. See also trainspotter n.
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the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > one who sees > [noun] > watcher of other specific things
waitera1425
mooncalfa1627
sightman1794
skywatcher1889
horse-watcher1894
coast-watcher1916
spotter1944
leaf peeper1965
leaf freak1974
1944 in I. Allan Driven by Steam (1992) ii. 20 He [sc. Ian Allan] told me that he was starting ‘spotters' clubs’ all over the country.
1958 Times 6 Dec. 7/4 As a young ‘spotter’ [of car registration numbers in Egypt] I quickly noticed that the Arabic face was always legible at a considerably greater distance than the Western face.
1995 N. Whittaker Platform Souls (1996) i. 23 How thoughtful of British Railways to arrange all these locos for the convenience of us spotters.
2012 Steam Days May 318/1 I was a regular spotter on the line between Paddington and Old Oak Common.
6. A person stationed to prevent possible accidents or otherwise provide safety assistance to a gymnast, weightlifter, etc.
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society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > gymnastics > [noun] > gymnast > person providing safety assistance
spotter1937
1937 Jrnl. Health & Physical Educ. Mar. 151/2 For a straddle vault over the long horse the left hand of the spotter holds the arm of the performer while the right hand pushes hard on the buttocks.
1974 Rules of Game ii. 41 Spotters are compulsory at each side and end of the trampoline to ensure the safety of competitors. They are forbidden to speak to competitors.
1987 Bodybuilding Oct. 73/1 Always have an adult spotter around to retrieve the weights.
2000 On Hill No. 8. 58/3 When you slip from a problem [on a boulder climb], the alert spotter will hopefully spring into action.
Compounds
General attributive or appositive (in sense 4).
spotter aircraft n.
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society > travel > air or space travel > a means of conveyance through the air > aeroplane > [noun] > used in warfare > scout or reconnaissance aircraft
scout1909
air scout1910
spotter plane1923
spotter1931
spotter aircraft1932
shufti-kite1944
1932 Times 12 Oct. 6/7 The new name is in accordance with the Air Ministry system of classifying types by the initial letter of their names, under which Fleet spotter aircraft were to have names beginning with the letter ‘S’.
1941 Free Press (Winnipeg) 9 Apr. 6/5 British warships appeared off the coast of Genoa and began to throw a thousand one-ton projectiles into the Ansaldo and other factories, their fire being corrected by British spotter aircraft overhead.
1993 ‘A. McNab’ Bravo Two Zero (1994) iv. 68 Aircraft of all types took off and landed on the brightly-lit runway; everything from spotter aircraft to A10 Thunderbolts.
2013 Orange County (Calif.) Register 8 July 87/2 He also took on the dangerous task of forward air controller, which means he called in artillery fire from a spotter aircraft that often flew low and slow over rugged terrain.
spotter pilot n.
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society > armed hostility > hostilities in the air > airman > [noun] > aircrew with specific duties
observer1870
strafer1915
air gunner1916
air bomber1918
gunner1918
rear gunner1918
bombardier1932
bomb-aimer1935
tail gunner1939
tail-end Charlie1941
arse-end Charlie1942
waist-gunner1942
spotter pilot1944
society > travel > air or space travel > people who fly in aircraft or spacecraft > [noun] > person in control of aircraft or spacecraft > person in control of aircraft > air force pilot > other military pilots
weaver1942
spotter pilot1944
1944 Port Arthur (Texas) News 25 June 8/4 In 43 minutes they planked down 125 rounds from the 12-inchers, stopping now and then to ask the spotter-pilot how things were going.
1967 Listener 21 Sept. 355/3 The radio in the company hq chatters with constant news from the ground control and the spotter pilots.
1999 Times 28 June 23/4 In March 1941, he was posted as Walrus spotter pilot to the heavy cruiser Cornwall.
spotter plane n.
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society > travel > air or space travel > a means of conveyance through the air > aeroplane > [noun] > used in warfare > scout or reconnaissance aircraft
scout1909
air scout1910
spotter plane1923
spotter1931
spotter aircraft1932
shufti-kite1944
1923 New Castle (Pa.) News 16 Mar. 46/6 Testing a new ‘spotter’ plane for the United States Navy, pilot Paul Collins and Lieut. George Strong, U.S.N., fell 300 feet near here Thursday afternoon, but escaped without serious injury.
1958 Observer 3 Aug. 1/4 Floating 1,000 ft. over Southern England in the Automobile Association's spotter plane..I watched the holiday traffic streaming out of London yesterday.
1981 E. Clark Send in Lions v. 53 Spotter planes searched the vastness of the Sahara.
2007 Independent on Sunday 22 July 15/1 Spain has organised a network of spotter planes.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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