mottled

1 of 2

adjective

mot·​tled ˈmä-tᵊld 

: 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

mottled

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of mottle entry 2

Examples of mottled in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Each piece of cotton used in his designs is dyed individually, by hand, to produce the mottled pattern that has become his calling card. — Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Sep. 2026

The feathers on her back were of mottled sepia tones, and those on her belly were rusty brown and painterly white. — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

Granite paint kits come with multiple colors of paint to duplicate the mottled look of stone, as well as a clear sealer to protect the finish. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2026

Both vessels were streaked with rust and showed mottled paint along the waterlines. — USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1676, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing mottled

• mottled enamel

Rhymes for mottled

• bottled
• throttled