dappled
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dappled
1350–1400; Middle English, probably < Scandinavian; akin to Old Norse depill spot
Explanation
Dappled is an adjective that means marked with spots or rounded patches. If you can picture Bambi's dappled rear, then you are on the right track. The origins of dappled are a bit mysterious. Its use as an adjective may date from around 1400, from a Middle English word that referred to the markings on an apple, or maybe to gray horses with round blotches that resembled apples. Dappled is usually used to describe markings on a horse or a deer, though photographers also appreciate "the dappled effect of sunlight filtered through leaves."
Vocabulary lists containing dappled
The Kite Runner
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"The Song of Wandering Aengus" by W.B. Yeats
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"The Song of Wandering Aengus" and "Sonnet 43," Vocabulary from the poems
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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.
Yet the result was a unique, multi-faceted sculptural adornment to Central Park that still shimmers compellingly in the dappled light of springtime, while convincingly elevating architecture to the status of fine art.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
In a woodland glade, in dappled sunshine, Sharron and Glen Markey are arm-in-arm beside the tree they planted in memory of their beloved 17-year-old daughter, Helena, their only child.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2025
If a political debate is your idea of a good time — rather than, say, sitting on the sugary sands of some beach watching a dappled sunset play on the water, more power to you!
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2024
This was classic couture — in sandstone tulle, sky-like lilac, blush cloud pink and dappled pastels — with arabesque motifs on golden foliage.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 24, 2024
He rode upon a strong dappled horse with flowing mane and tail and his stirrups and bridle were inlaid with silver.
From "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis
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.
