speckle

[ spek-uh l ]

/ ˈspɛk əl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR speckle ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

speckled coloring or marking.

verb (used with object), speck·led, speck·ling.

to mark with or as with speckles.

Nearby words

Origin of speckle

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

Related formsspeck·led·ness, nounun·speck·led, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for speckle

She had been cherishing a secret hope that she might get a few eggs from Miss Pettus to complete a setting for Speckle.
Oldfield|Nancy Huston Banks
To be sure, Mrs. Speckle did not keep a looking-glass, and I suppose poor Brownie had no idea how very absurd he looked.
The Nursery, No. 165. September, 1880, Vol. 28|Various
Out of the yard bounded Rover barking heartily and, from her stall, Speckle mooed a welcome.
Little Tom|V. Tille
Mrs. Speckle (that was his mother) was just as proud of him as she could be; but foolish Brownie thought her too strict.
The Nursery, No. 165. September, 1880, Vol. 28|Various

Speckle was ready at the time set by Henny, who soon found a house and was back in an hour's time.
The Chickens of Fowl Farm|Lena E. Barksdale

British Dictionary definitions for speckle

speckle

/ (ˈspɛkəl) /

noun

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

verb

(tr) to mark with or as if with speckles

Derived Formsspeckled, adjective

Word Origin for speckle

C15: from Middle Dutch spekkel; see speck

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

Word Origin and History for speckle

speckle

c.1400 (implied in speckled), probably related to Old English specca "small spot, speck" (see speck) or from a related Middle Dutch or Middle High German word. Related: Speckled; speckling. The noun is first attested mid-15c.