speck
Americannoun
-
a small spot differing in color or substance from that of the surface or material upon which it appears or lies.
Specks of soot on the window sill.
-
a very little bit or particle.
We haven't a speck of sugar.
-
something appearing small by comparison or by reason of distance.
By then the town was just a speck.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a very small mark or spot
-
a small or tiny piece of something
verb
Other Word Forms
- speckedness noun
- speckless adjective
- specklessly adverb
- specklessness noun
Etymology
Origin of speck
before 900; Middle English specke, Old English specca; cognate with Dutch spikkel
Explanation
A speck is a tiny patch or spot. At night, the stars look like glittering specks against the sky. And when you look up at the night sky, you might feel like a mere speck in the universe. A speck is a bit of color or light, or a very slight amount of something: "I'd like my eggs with lots of salt and just a speck of pepper." If you're extremely tidy, discovering specks of sand on your jeans after a walk on the beach might prompt you to change your clothes. Speck can be traced back to the Old English specca, "small spot or stain," but beyond that its origin remains a mystery.
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.
The crescent Earth — our oasis holding everything we cherish, now just a speck in the infinite blackness — seemed to kiss the jagged lunar surface.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
Surely, there has got to be some speck of humanity here, some microcosmic pocket of life detectable amid her robotic demeanor and Ratner’s styleless direction.
From Salon • Feb. 1, 2026
The painter adds, as grace notes, eight daubs of red, two no larger than a speck, to the prevailing gray.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025
Even a speck of dust could alter the image quality.
From BBC • Jun. 23, 2025
For a moment he thought he could see a black speck crawling up the farthest ridge.
From "The Red Pony" by John Steinbeck
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.
