speck

¹speck

noun \ˈspek\

Definition of SPECK

1

: a small discoloration or spot especially from stain or decay

2

: a very small amount : bit

3

: something marked or marred with specks

— specked \ˈspekt\ adjective

Examples of SPECK

1. There was not a speck of dust anywhere.
2. Soon the balloon was only a speck in the sky.
3. She writes without a speck of humor.

Origin of SPECK

Middle English specke, from Old English specca

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to SPECK

Synonyms

blotch, dapple, dot, eyespot, fleck, mottle, patch, pip, point, spot, speckle, splotch

Related Words

birthmark, freckle, mole; blob, blot, mark, smear, smudge, smutch, stain; spatter, splash; polka dot

Near Antonyms

abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings (also lashins) [chiefly British], loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, wad, wealth; volume; bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overflow, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus; chunk, hunk, lump, slab

Rhymes with SPECK

beck, Cech, check, Czech, deck, dreck, Eck, fleck, heck, Lech, lek, neck, pec, peck, reck, sec, sneck, spec, trek, wreak, wreck

²speck

transitive verb

Definition of SPECK

: to produce specks on or in

Examples of SPECK

1. <dirt that had specked the windows of the factory for ages>

First Known Use of SPECK

14th century

Related to SPECK

Synonyms

blotch, dapple, dot, fleck, freckle, marble, mottle, pepper, shoot, spot, speckle, splotch, sprinkle, stipple

Related Words

blot, dye, stain; band, bar, streak, stripe; intersperse, set, stud; bespatter, spatter