mottle

[ mot-l ]

/ ˈmɒt l /

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See synonyms for: mottle / mottled on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), mot·tled, mot·tling.

to mark or diversify with spots or blotches of a different color or shade.

noun

a diversifying spot or blotch of color.

mottled coloring or pattern.

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Origin of mottle

First recorded in 1670–80; probably back formation from motley

OTHER WORDS FROM mottle

mot·tle·ment, nounmottler, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mottle in a sentence

Again the octopus’ skin mottles, and then again, the second time not much resembling the grouper’s patterns but rather a constellation of lights.
Octopuses Find New Hunting Buddies - Issue 95: Escape|Brandon Keim|January 28, 2021|Nautilus
It lands with mischievous accuracy, mottling the crotch of my jeans.
Leaky Ceilings, Catcalls, and Uncaged Pythons: 4 Hours on NYC’s Worst Subway|Kevin Zawacki|August 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In life the dorsum is greenish tan with brown mottling; in some individuals the entire dorsum is dark chocolate brown.
The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michoacn, Mxico|William E. Duellman
Every vein and crack and mottling of that face of rock remained forever stamped upon his memory.
The White Company|Arthur Conan Doyle

Through the fog, which has become much less dense, a number of dark objects are visible, mottling the surface of the water.
The Land of Fire|Mayne Reid
There stole a grey pallor over his bull face, mottling all the red of the tropics and the flush of the wine.
The Dealings of Captain Sharkey|A. Conan Doyle
Its normal colour is mauve; the lip has a big yellow blotch and a mottling of purple in the front.
The Woodlands Orchids|Frederick Boyle

British Dictionary definitions for mottle

mottle

/ (ˈmɒtəl) /

verb

(tr) to colour with streaks or blotches of different shades

noun

a mottled appearance, as of the surface of marble

one streak or blotch of colour in a mottled surface

Word Origin for mottle

C17: back formation from motley

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

mottle

Origin of mottle

OTHER WORDS FROM mottle

Words related to mottle

How to use mottle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mottle

Word Origin for mottle