mottled

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

Examples of mottled in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

No natural rock was visible here; the passageway had been plastered over with mottled concrete and lined with air pipes. — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026

The shallowest sections near the coast appear bright aquamarine, the deepest shift toward cobalt or lapis, and a mottled turquoise fills the space between. — Sarah Bruning, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2026

The tall block heels were rendered in translucent amber and black with a horn-like mottled finish, introducing a second clear element without turning the design into a fully transparent shoe. — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 26 July 2026

In addition to curling, the leaves become mottled, new leaflets are small and infected fruit is brown inside. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1676, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing mottled

• mottled enamel

Rhymes for mottled

• bottled
• throttled