spotter

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *(s)pel-

Proto-Indo-European *splt-no-

Proto-Germanic *spluttaz

Proto-West Germanic *splott

Old English splott

Middle English spot

Middle Dutch spotteinflu.

Middle English splotinflu.

English spot

Proto-Indo-European *-yósder.

Proto-Italic *-āzios

Latin -āriusnom.

Latin -āriusbor.

Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz

Proto-West Germanic *-ārī

Old English -ere

Middle English -ere

English -er

English spotter

From spot + -er.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈspɒt.ə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈspɑ.tɚ/
• Rhymes: -ɒtə(ɹ)

Noun

spotter (plural spotters)

1. A person who observes something.
2. A member of a sniper team who in addition to this function is responsible for providing additional information about targets from a different point of view.
3. (weightlifting, gymnastics, climbing) One who supervises a person performing an activity, in order to help them should they be unable to complete it.
   • 1981 December 12, Melissa Wills, “Moving Metal”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 21, page 10:

     Due to a spotter's lack of action in holding the weight when a lifter lost her balance, the lifter badly pulled some muscles.

4. (US) A person who gives directions for a crane or vehicle (that is challenging to navigate) from a different point of view to the moved load.

   Synonyms: banksman, dogman, lookout, observer, signalman

5. Dolphins of the genus Stenella, and specifically Stenella attenuata distinguished from the streaker (Stenella coeruleoalba) and the spinner (Stenella longirostris).

   Synonym: spotted dolphin

6. (motor racing) A team member responsible for communication with the driver to keep them up-to-date about on-track events, such as other nearby cars.

   Synonym: observer

7. (broadcasting) A person employed to assist a sports presenter by identifying the players or events during a game.

Derived terms

• birdspotter
• cloudspotter
• locospotter
• microspotter
• pinspotter
• planespotter, plane spotter
• spotter plane
• talent spotter
• talent-spotter
• train spotter
• trainspotter
• trendspotter
• weather spotter

Related terms

• G-spotter

Translations

person who observes

• Finnish: havaitsija (fi); tarkkailija (fi)
• Hungarian: figyelő (hu), megfigyelő (hu), felderítő (hu), leső (hu)
• Polish: obserwator (pl) m, obserwatorka (pl) f

military: supporting sniper

• Catalan: observador
• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: tähystäjä (fi)
• German: Beobachter (de) m; the same function in the air force is also called Kampfbeobachter m, Waffensystemoffizier m, Kampfbeobachtungsoffizier m; then there is the term Beobachtungsoffizier m in general
• Polish: snajper pomocniczy m
• Swedish: spanare (sv) c, utkik (sv) c

sports: exercise supervisor

• Catalan: observador
• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: varmistaja (fi)
• German: Übungshelfer m, contrasted with the Übungsleiter (de) m meaning “trainer”
• Hungarian: segítő (hu), felügyelő (hu), sportfelügyelő, spotter (hu)
• Polish: asekurant (pl) m, asekurantka f, asekurator m, asekuratorka f
• Swedish: spotter c

person who gives directions for a crane

• Catalan: vigilant (ca)
• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: alamies
• German: Einweiser m
• Polish: nawigator (pl) m, nawigatorka (pl) f
• Spanish: amantero m
• Swedish: förman (sv) c

dolphin of the genus Stenella

• Catalan: dofí tacat tropical (ca)
• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: suippokuonodelfiini (Stenella), täplädelfiini (S. attenuata)
• German: Fleckendelfin m
• Polish: delfinek m
• Portuguese: golfinho-pintado m
• Swedish: Stenella-delfin

motor racing: team member responsible for communication with the driver

• Polish: informator (pl) m, informatorka (pl) f

References

• “spotter”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Anagrams

• Potters, potters, protest, strepto, strepto-

Danish

Verb

spotter

1. present of spotte

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

spotter m (definite singular spotteren, indefinite plural spottere, definite plural spotterne)

1. jeerer; mocker

See also

• spottar (Nynorsk)

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /esˈpoteɾ/ [esˈpo.t̪eɾ]
• Rhymes: -oteɾ

Noun

spotter m (plural spotteres)

1. spotter (clarification of this definition is needed)