Language: en
Meaning: (idiomatic)At that very moment.Synonyms:right away,then and thereHe liked the house, so he made an offeron the spot.1739,Samuel Sharp, “Of Amputation” (chapter XXXVII), inA Treatise on the Operations of Surgery, London: J. Brotherton,page221:Thereare in the Armies a great many Inſtances of Gun-ſhot Wounds of the Arm near theScapula, which require Amputation at the Shoulder; but the Apprehenſion of loſing their Patientson the Spotby the Hæmorrhage, has deterred Surgeons from undertaking it.; (idiomatic)Having toanswerordecidewithoutwarningorpreparation.All the sudden questions put himon the spotand he had to think quickly.; (idiomatic)In a particular place.Synonyms:in place,on location,on site,on the premises,in the roomThis report comes from our manon the spotin Gaza.We exercised by jumping up and downon the spot.1928,Dorothy L. Sayers, “The Abominable History of the Man with Copper Fingers”, inLord Peter Views the Body:I had accepted an engagement to go out with Mystofilms Ltd. inFake of Dead Man's Bush—the dwarf-men picture, you know, takenon the spotamong the Australian bushmen.1945September and October, C. Hamilton Ellis, “Royal Trains—V”, inRailway Magazine, pages251–252:[…]on October 29, 1888, the Russian imperial train was derailed at Borki by defective track, and twenty-one persons were killed. Although these did not include the Emperor Alexander III, who escaped with a bruising, a footman serving coffee to him at the critical moment, and his dog, which was lying on the floor beside him, were both killedon the spot.
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