speckle

1 of 2

noun

speck·​le ˈspe-kəl How to pronounce speckle (audio)
: 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

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 voluptuous, extra curvy, plush golden me with a speckle of grey. Emily Blackwood, People.com, 23 Aug. 2025 Using speckle imaging enabled the astronomers to avoid atmospheric distortions because its short exposure time allows thousands of images to be taken in quick succession. Rosie McCall, Discover Magazine, 28 July 2025
Verb
The same kind of misunderstanding speckles the discourse around Live Laugh Love, his stellar new album. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2025 Gerwig, 42, returned to Venice in a black dress with a sheer black overlay speckled with glittering flowers. Jack Smart, People.com, 29 Aug. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Speckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speckle. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!