spotter

[spot-er] /ˈspɒt ər/
noun
1.
a person employed to remove spots from clothing, especially at a dry-cleaning establishment.
2.
(in civil defense) a civilian who watches for enemy airplanes.
3.
Informal. a person employed to watch the activity and behavior of others, especially employees, as for evidence of dishonesty.
4.
Military. an observer at a forward position who singles out targets for gunners.
5.
a person or thing that spots.
6.
(in small-arms practice firing) a small black disk attached to the target to make more prominent the places where a bullet has hit.
7.
an assistant to a sportscaster who provides the names of the players chiefly involved in each play of a game, especially a football game.
8.
Gymnastics, Tumbling. a person who is stationed in the most effective place to guard against an injury to a performer in the act of executing a maneuver.
Origin
1605-15; spot + -er1
Examples from the web for spotter
  • To approach without being seen by a visual spotter, a dash would almost certainly be required.
  • The spotter can see fish out there two boat lengths ahead of us.
  • Soon came filleting machines, echo-sounders and spotter planes.
  • More and more places are setting up spotter networks who go out to look for tornadoes, and report them when watches are posted.
  • Any individual or weather enthusiast can be weather spotter volunteer.
British Dictionary definitions for spotter

spotter

/ˈspɒtə/
noun
1.
  1. a person or thing that watches or observes
  2. (as modifier): a spotter plane
2.
a person who makes a hobby of watching for and noting numbers or types of trains, buses, etc: a train spotter
3.
(military) a person who orders or advises adjustment of fire on a target by observations
4.
a person, esp one engaged in civil defence, who watches for enemy aircraft
5.
(US, informal) an employee assigned to spy on his colleagues in order to check on their honesty
6.
(films)
  1. a person who checks against irregularities and inconsistencies
  2. a person who searches for new material, performers, etc