: marked with spots of different colors : having blotches of two or more colors
mottled tree bark
a mottled complexion
the bird's mottled plumage
A combination of red and blue pigments in the shell of a live lobster creates a mottled camouflage of indeterminate hue that blends in with the ocean floor.—
Kenneth Chang
Kenneth ChangExamples of mottled in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bake it in a buttered pan to a mottled bronze with a little burnishing at the edges.
—Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 5 June 2024
Then there’s the body itself, which is heavily implied to be in an advanced state of decomposition — there’s that grotesque-seeming smell that Adam detects, and a quick shot of Harry’s mottled face.
—Zing Tsjeng, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2024
Couples can toast to their future amid the fragrant citrus trees, pines, and rustling palms, all of which are framed by mottled stone balusters—a Gatsby-esque stage for speeches.
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Mar. 2023
His wobbly outlines, gauche bodies and mottled colors yield great pictures, undoubtedly.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
The design is muted, with an emphasis on natural, local materials: rope, rattan, and bamboo, alongside rustic linens in cream and taupe, featuring just the occasional nod to the tropical surroundings in the form of a tasteful palm tree print or a splash of mottled green.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024
Workers shuffle through that mottled brown carpet with bare feet — like kicking sand on the beach — to expose the harvest to some sun.
—Mumbi Gitau, Fortune Europe, 27 Feb. 2024
Soon another ball-python type, the piebald, or pied, which features mottled brown spots on an ivory body and is considered scarce in the wild, became popular: in 1997, a pied ball python could sell for thirty thousand dollars.
—Rebecca Giggs, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
June bugs Large beetles with stout bodies and mottled coloring, often called May, June or Chafer beetles.
—The Arizona Republic, 14 Feb. 2024
Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 5 June 2024
Then there’s the body itself, which is heavily implied to be in an advanced state of decomposition — there’s that grotesque-seeming smell that Adam detects, and a quick shot of Harry’s mottled face.
—Zing Tsjeng, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2024
Couples can toast to their future amid the fragrant citrus trees, pines, and rustling palms, all of which are framed by mottled stone balusters—a Gatsby-esque stage for speeches.
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Mar. 2023
His wobbly outlines, gauche bodies and mottled colors yield great pictures, undoubtedly.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
The design is muted, with an emphasis on natural, local materials: rope, rattan, and bamboo, alongside rustic linens in cream and taupe, featuring just the occasional nod to the tropical surroundings in the form of a tasteful palm tree print or a splash of mottled green.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024
Workers shuffle through that mottled brown carpet with bare feet — like kicking sand on the beach — to expose the harvest to some sun.
—Mumbi Gitau, Fortune Europe, 27 Feb. 2024
Soon another ball-python type, the piebald, or pied, which features mottled brown spots on an ivory body and is considered scarce in the wild, became popular: in 1997, a pied ball python could sell for thirty thousand dollars.
—Rebecca Giggs, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
June bugs Large beetles with stout bodies and mottled coloring, often called May, June or Chafer beetles.
—The Arizona Republic, 14 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mottled.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near mottled
Cite this Entry
“Mottled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mottled. Accessed 18 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share