fleck
Americannoun
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a speck; a small bit.
a fleck of dirt.
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a spot or small patch of color, light, etc..
the dapple mare with flecks of gray.
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a spot or mark on the skin, as a freckle.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a small marking or streak; speckle
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a small particle; speck
a fleck of dust
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fleck
1350–1400; Middle English flekked spotted; akin to Old Norse flekkr spot, streak, Old High German flec ( German Fleck ), Middle Low German, Middle Dutch vlecken to soil
Explanation
A fleck is a small patch that is different and stands out from the background, like the flecks of green in your blue eyes. A fleck can also be a fragment of something, like the flecks of peeling paint you might see on the floor in an old building. The noun fleck can describe a color or a spot of light that stands out, like a fleck of orange in a brown and white plaid, or the little bits of light reflected off a sequined top. It can also describe a particle, such as a fleck of dirt you track into your house on your shoe. Fleck can also be a verb that means dotting or marking something with little spots, like when you fleck paint on the wall to produce a random dotted effect.
Vocabulary lists containing fleck
The House on Mango Street
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Number the Stars
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Among those that have pulled out of appearances are banjo player Béla Fleck, singer Renée Fleming and the musical “Hamilton.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026
The sequel to 2019’s blockbuster “Joker” has Joaquin Phoenix reprise and expand his role as Joker/Arthur Fleck and introduces Lady Gaga as Lee Quinzel, also known as Harley Quinn.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2024
“We use music to make us whole,” Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck, also known as Joker, remarks in the trailer, “to balance the fractures within ourselves.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2024
A nice scene before kick-off, as former Sheffield United midfielder John Fleck is a guest of honour on the pitch and receives the acclaim of the crowd with his two boys.
From BBC • Mar. 3, 2024
I couldn't believe my eyes—it was my old third- grade teacher, Miss Fleck.
From "Seedfolks" by Paul Fleischman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
