: 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
In the winter, their mottled brown feathers give way to snowy white plumage, which helps camouflage them against the powder.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 July 2024
The mottled glass cold cup is another pretty option that’s beach-inspired.
—Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 25 June 2024
Where the original was shiny and bright, this one is a mottled cartoon.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Jan. 2024
In 2001, there were only 62 mature Iberian lynx – medium-sized, mottled brown cats with characteristic pointed ears and a pair of beard-like tufts of facial hair – on the Iberian Peninsula.
—Teresa Medrano and James Brooks, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for mottled 
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 July 2024
The mottled glass cold cup is another pretty option that’s beach-inspired.
—Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 25 June 2024
Where the original was shiny and bright, this one is a mottled cartoon.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Jan. 2024
In 2001, there were only 62 mature Iberian lynx – medium-sized, mottled brown cats with characteristic pointed ears and a pair of beard-like tufts of facial hair – on the Iberian Peninsula.
—Teresa Medrano and James Brooks, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for mottled
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 27 Jul. 2024.
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