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dapple

[ dap-uhl ] [ ˈdæp əl ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

verb

to mark or become marked with spots.

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Why Dictionary.com chose dapple

More about dapple

  • Dapple, the verb, was first recorded in 1545–55.
  • Dapple was probably formed from the adjective dappled, “having spots of a different shade from the background.”
  • Dappled first appeared around 1350–1400 and comes from Middle English.
  • Dappled probably has Scandinavian roots and is similar to Old Norse depill, meaning “spot.”

EXAMPLES OF DAPPLE

  • The artist used a hairbrush to dapple paint onto the canvas, creating an abstract masterpiece.
  • The sunlight dappled the leaves, casting beautiful patterns on the forest floor.
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Word of the day

unfalsifiable

[ uhn-fawl-suh-fahy-uh-buhl ] [ ʌnˌfɔl səˈfaɪ ə bəl ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

adjective

not able to be proven false, and therefore not scientific.

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Why Dictionary.com chose unfalsifiable

More about unfalsifiable

  • Unfalsifiable was first recorded in 1835–45.
  • Unfalsifiable is formed from the prefix un, which means “not,” and the word falsifiable.
  • Falsifiable was first recorded in the early 17th century and ultimately comes from the Late Latin verb falsificāre, “to make false.”

EXAMPLES OF UNFALSIFIABLE

  • The existence of parallel universes remains an intriguing but ultimately unfalsifiable theory within the domain of theoretical physics.
  • Pseudoscience often relies on claims that are vague and unfalsifiable, making it difficult to subject them to rigorous empirical scrutiny.
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Word of the day

smaze

[ smeyz ] [ smeɪz ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

noun

a mixture of haze and smoke.

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Why Dictionary.com chose smaze

More about smaze

  • Smaze was first recorded around 1950–55.
  • Smaze is a portmanteau, a combination, of the words smoke and haze.
  • Smoke was first recorded before 1000 and is from an Old English word, smoca.
  • Haze was first recorded in 1700–10 and comes perhaps from a variant of the Old English word haswa, “ashen, dusky.”

EXAMPLES OF SMAZE

  • The dense smaze hanging over the city obscured the view of the skyline.
  • The combination of a morning fog and chimney smoke created an eerie smaze in the countryside.
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