Dictionary.com
definitions

speckle pattern

noun Astronomy.

the visual appearance of a star as viewed through a large telescope, with irregularities caused by the distorting effect of local turbulence in the earth's atmosphere.

RELATED CONTENT

Words You Didn’t Know Were Inspired By AnimalsDid you know that the word ”muscle” is derived from the Latin word for ”mouse”? And this isn't the only word in the English language that is unexpectedly inspired by animals.
READ MORE
Lexical Investigations: MotleyThe exact origin of motley is uncertain, but it’s likely to have come from the Middle English word mote, meaning “speck.” It makes sense then that mottled and speckled have similar meanings. Mottle is actually a back formation of motley. In the sixteenth century, the multicolored clothing worn by a fool or court jester became known as a motley. The phrase “motley fool” harkens back to …
READ MORE

Nearby words

  1. speciously,
  2. speck,
  3. speckedness,
  4. speckle,
  5. speckle interferometry,
  6. speckled,
  7. speckled trout,
  8. speckled wood,
  9. specs,
  10. spect

Origin of speckle pattern

First recorded in 1960–65
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019