speckle
Americannoun
-
a small speck, spot, or mark, as on skin.
-
speckled coloring or marking.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of speckle
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at speck, -le
Explanation
A speckle is a dot or dash of something — you might think you've painted the living room without spilling any paint, only to find a speckle of purple in the middle of the rug. Young children pouring their own cereal often leave a speckle of milk on the counter no matter how careful they are. You can also use speckle as a verb meaning "to scatter" or "to dot." For example, you could describe the black spots that speckle your cat, or talk about the stars that speckle the sky. Speckle most likely comes from the Old English word specca, "small spot or speck."
Vocabulary lists containing speckle
Unit 1: Telling Details
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Brown Girl Dreaming
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Bridge to Terabithia
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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.
Speckle noise is normally considered detrimental to clear, accurate imaging.
From Science Daily • Nov. 16, 2024
Speckle interferes with AO-OCT the way clouds interfere with aerial photography.
From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2024
Speckle wants to buy a house and start a family.
From Salon • Jul. 25, 2019
But the scene where Speckle makes the two kinds of oven fries, and it cuts to an actual photo of the oven fries.
From The Verge • Jun. 14, 2019
"After the thing was all over and the company leaving, Lady Featherly gave each of us an orange or an apple," said Speckle to Henny Penny the day after the party.
From The Chickens of Fowl Farm by Barksdale, Lena E.
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.
