Dictionary.com

speckle

[ spek-uhl ]
/ ˈspɛk əl /
SEE 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.

QUIZZES

FOR LEXICAL ALIMENTATION, TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Nourish your vocabulary with a refresher on the words from the week of September 14–20, 2020!
Question 1 of 7
What does “blatherskite” mean?
a person given to voluble, empty talk.
an ancient Greek or Roman farce that depended for effect largely upon ludicrous actions and gestures.
a check whose amount has been raised by forgery before cashing.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of speckle

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

OTHER WORDS FROM speckle

speck·led·ness, nounun·speck·led, adjective

Words nearby speckle

specimen plant, speciosity, specious, specious present, speck, speckle, speckled trout, speckled wood, speckle interferometry, speckle pattern, specs
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to speckle

mottle, stipple, freckle, sprinkle, speck, dab, fleck, stud, dapple, dabble, pimple, besprinkle, pepper, bespeckle

Example sentences from the Web for speckle

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 forms of speckle

speckled, 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