speckle

[spek-uhl]

noun

1. a small speck, spot, or mark, as on skin.

2. speckled coloring or marking.

verb (used with object)

speckled, speckling 

1. to mark with or as with speckles.

speckle

/ ˈspɛkəl /

noun

1. a small or slight mark usually of a contrasting colour, as on the skin, a bird's plumage, or eggs

verb

1. (tr) to mark with or as if with speckles

Other Word Forms

• speckledness noun
• unspeckled adjective
• speckled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of speckle¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; speck, -le

Word History and Origins

Origin of speckle¹

C15: from Middle Dutch spekkel; see _speck

Example Sentences

The towns speckling the Columbia River basin have long ridden the ebbs and flows of far-off markets: volatile crop prices, changes in the livestock trade, pressure on the lumber industry.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Diversified operates just a fraction of the wells speckling Appalachia, home to two of America’s most prolific shale formations.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In his larger home – with patios and several rooms – a group of speckled hens fights for rooftop space between the solar panels.

Read more on BBC

One of them kept her eyes glued to Palacios as she reached sneakily for the cat’s speckled fur.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“One of the things that we really wanted to feature as well is those green and white speckled plastic plates that you get at casual restaurants,” she said.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• mottle