dapple

American  

[dap-uhl] / ˈdæp əl /

noun

1. a spot or mottled marking, usually occurring in clusters.

2. an animal with a mottled skin or coat.

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adjective

1. dappled; spotted.

   a dapple horse.

verb (used with or without object)

dappled, dappling

1. to mark or become marked with spots.

dapple British  

/ ˈdæpəl /

verb

1. to mark or become marked with spots or patches of a different colour; mottle

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noun

1. mottled or spotted markings

2. a dappled horse, etc

adjective

1. marked with dapples or spots

Etymology

Origin of dapple

First recorded in 1545–55; probably back formation from dappled

Example Sentences

The Dalmatian fern, with its dappled fronds and alert bearing.

From Literature

A splattering of white on one corner of each building mimicked the dappling of sun on the water.

From Literature

Filming in woods near Nara, and then in the Komyoji forest in Kyoto prefecture, Miyagawa created a latticework of sunlight with tree branches and leaves forming a living carpet of dappled shadows.

From The Wall Street Journal

Picnic in our backpacks, my husband and I hiked in from the Palomarin Headlands — about 2.5 miles — along cliffs where you can spot gray and humpback whales, and shaded paths where dappled shadows dance.

From Los Angeles Times

Every time he touches her, the rest of the world seems to disappear: The focus goes shallow, the fine hairs on Brie’s skin dapple in the light, her muscles creak as loudly as tectonic plates.

From Los Angeles Times