speckle

1 of 2

noun

speck·​le ˈspe-kəl 

: a little speck (as of color)

speckle

2 of 2

verb

speckled; speckling ˈspe-k(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to mark with speckles

2

: to be distributed in or on like speckles

Synonyms

Noun

• blotch
• dapple
• dot
• eyespot
• fleck
• mottle
• patch
• pip
• point
• speck
• splotch
• spot

Verb

• blotch
• dapple
• dot
• fleck
• freckle
• marble
• mottle
• pepper
• shoot
• speck
• splotch
• spot
• sprinkle
• stipple

Examples of speckle in a Sentence

Noun

a ripe banana with lots of brown speckles

the cat has a speckle of orange right at her whiskers

Verb

speckled the cookies with colored sugar

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

So, take this opportunity to score it in teal speckle or linen speckle, before those sell out, too. —Maggie Horton, People.com, 5 Oct. 2024

This method, known as speckle contrast optical spectroscopy (SCOS), essentially shows the rate of blood flow by how quickly the scattering changes. —New Atlas, 1 Oct. 2024

Verb

Chapman was back, her locs speckled with white, her voice as lucid and knowing as ever. —Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024

Bring a crew to share the creamy hummus trio, fattoush salad speckled with pomegranate seeds, chewy mashrouha flatbread with spiced beef, comfy casserole of chicken fatteh with thick yogurt, juicy beef shawarma and dozens more dishes. —Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English; akin to Old English specca

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing speckle

• speckle interferometry

Kids Definition

speckle

1 of 2 noun

speck·​le ˈspek-əl 

: a small mark (as of color)

speckle

2 of 2 verb

speckled; speckling ˈspek-(ə-)liŋ 

: to mark with speckles