speckle

1 of 2

noun

speck·​le ˈspe-kəl How to pronounce speckle (audio)
Synonyms of specklenext
: a little speck (as of color)

speckle

2 of 2

verb

speckled; speckling ˈspe-k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce speckle (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to mark with speckles
2
: to be distributed in or on like speckles

Synonyms of speckle

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Noun

Verb

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The collection follows a very classic autumnal color palette, with speckles of burgundy, brown, khaki, and deep greens. — Bianca Kratky, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2026 Toss them into a pantry-friendly pasta with speckles of salty pancetta. — Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Oct. 2026
Verb
The candidate had just spent nearly 40 minutes addressing several dozen Orange County moms in Mission Viejo, a hilly and affluent enclave speckled with golf courses and Spanish colonial architecture. — Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026 Dark clouds swirl across a sky speckled with stars as the Milky Way stretches above the European Space Observatory's La Silla Observatory in Chile's Atacama Desert. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for speckle

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of speckle was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing speckle

Rhymes for speckle

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Browse Nearby Words

speckiness
speckle
specklebelly
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Cite this Entry

“Speckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speckle. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

speckle

1 of 2 noun
speck·​le ˈspek-əl How to pronounce speckle (audio)
: a small mark (as of color)

speckle

2 of 2 verb
speckled; speckling ˈspek-(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce speckle (audio)
: to mark with speckles
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