speck

American  

[spek] / spɛk /

noun

1. a small spot differing in color or substance from that of the surface or material upon which it appears or lies.

   Specks of soot on the window sill.

2. a very little bit or particle.

   We haven't a speck of sugar.

3. something appearing small by comparison or by reason of distance.

   By then the town was just a speck.

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verb (used with object)

1. to mark with, or as with, a speck or specks.

speck British  

/ spɛk /

noun

1. a very small mark or spot

2. a small or tiny piece of something

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verb

1. (tr) to mark with specks or spots

Other Word Forms

• speckedness noun
• speckless adjective
• specklessly adverb
• specklessness noun

Etymology

Origin of speck

before 900; Middle English specke, Old English specca; cognate with Dutch spikkel

Example Sentences

First, they begin as tiny little specks of dust, forming inside the clouds of gas around baby stars, which are known as protoplanetary discs.

From Space Scoop

The painter adds, as grace notes, eight daubs of red, two no larger than a speck, to the prevailing gray.

From The Wall Street Journal

We were just specks in the ocean, as tiny as a velella or an anchovy, part of a big, watery world.

From Los Angeles Times

These allusions to Ireland are ever-present in the band’s creations, with titles such as “Tir na nÓg” and “Connla’s Well” specked across their discography.

From Los Angeles Times

To ensure there’s never a speck of dust on the floor, Herbert and his crew use electric leaf blowers each day to clean the massive space.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blot
• dot
• fleck
• iota
• mite
• particle
• shred
• splotch
• stain