1
: a colored spot
2
a
: a surface having colored spots or blotches
b
: the presence or arrangement of such spots or blotches on a surface
One way to overcome mottle is to select an ink that is … uniformly absorbed …—
Nelson R. Eldred
Nelson R. Eldred3
mottled; mottling
ˈmät-liŋ 
ˈmä-tᵊl-iŋ
: to mark with spots or blotches of different color or shades of color as if stained
Examples of mottle in a Sentence
Noun
canvases covered with streaks and mottles
Verb
old papers that were mottled by mold
Recent Examples on the Web
Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2025
Remember to continue your daily sunscreen use to stave off more mottle.
—Katie Becker, Harper's BAZAAR, 5 Oct. 2015
Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
The parrot’s feathers are a bright gilded green mottled with black, and its life span is comparable to that of a human.
—New York Times, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mottle
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Noun
As branching coral look-alikes, the cuttlefish splayed out their arms and displayed dark mottles to blend in with staghorn coral.
—Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2025
Remember to continue your daily sunscreen use to stave off more mottle.
—Katie Becker, Harper's BAZAAR, 5 Oct. 2015
Verb
The Illinois skies are mottled.
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
The parrot’s feathers are a bright gilded green mottled with black, and its life span is comparable to that of a human.
—New York Times, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mottle
Cite this Entry
“Mottle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mottle. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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