speck

noun

\ ˈspek

Definition of speck

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a small discoloration or spot especially from stain or decay

2 : a very small amount : bit

3 : something marked or marred with specks

speck

verb

specked; specking; specks

Definition of speck (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to produce specks on or in

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Examples of speck in a Sentence

Noun

There was not a speck of dust anywhere. Soon the balloon was only a speck in the sky. She writes without a speck of humor.

Verb

dirt that had specked the windows of the factory for ages

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Perhaps that speck of white that Sullivan referenced was indeed enough to justify overturning the initial no-goal ruling. — Alex Prewitt, SI.com, "Controversial No-Goal Call Plays Pivotal Role as Capitals Draw Even With Penguins," 29 Apr. 2018 The spots, specks, and dots have commanded attention in royal courts and video games, stirred controversy, and been emulated with both textiles and metals. — Jesa Marie Calaor, Allure, "Beauty By Numbers: 11 Fun Facts About the History of Moles," 26 Mar. 2018 First stop: a tiny speck in the Pacific Ocean... The dawn's earliest light -- the first rays of sun on U.S. soil – shine upon Wake Island. — CBS News, "Wake Island: Where America's day really begins," 14 Jan. 2018 That place was a speck on the map called Fairfax County, and Resham and his wife were determined to get there. — Theresa Vargas, Washington Post, "A Nepali immigrant brought his daughter to America for a better life. Then his own was taken.," 11 July 2018 At 10 miles off, the 136-foot-long airplane is just a speck. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "B-52 Bombers Could Quadruple Their Wing Bomb Loads," 25 June 2018 That means that specks of strange quark matter, or strangelets, could be stable and that, in principle, ordinary nuclei could change into them. — Adrian Cho, Science | AAAS, "Weird new form of nuclear matter might lie just beyond experimenters' grasp," 15 May 2018 Julie and Billy may be mere mortal specks in a divine scheme. — Ben Brantley, New York Times, "Review: A ‘Carousel’ That Spins on a Romantically Charged Axis," 12 Apr. 2018 Blue Cypress is little more than an hour south of Orlando, east of an outpost called Yeehaw Junction and of its 13 miles of shoreline curtained by cypress trees, there is just a speck of human intrusion: a fish camp and cottages. — Kevin Spear, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Rare Florida jewel, Blue Cypress Lake, sickens with pollution," 11 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Now, their territory has fewer than 1,000 residents and consists of about 7,300 acres, with roads wandering through woods specked with modest family homes. — New York Times, "A Story of Survival Revived by the Cicadas’ Loud (and Crunchy) Return," 22 June 2018 For all its strengths, though, the series proves a bit of a slog, at times, as the wheels turn along the dusty, blood-specked road to wherever this maze leads. — Brian Lowry, CNN, "'Westworld' remains easy to admire, harder to like in new season," 19 Apr. 2018 To get into the spirit, order a ginger beer and rock shrimp fritters, fried balls of doughy goodness specked with bell pepper and spices that come steaming hot with a side of spicy mayo. — Mark Kurlyandchik, Detroit Free Press, "Best New Restaurant #10: River Bistro, Detroit," 12 Feb. 2018 Moonchild is specked with obvious glitter, which could be a deterrent for some. — Devon Abelman, Allure, "This Anastasia Beverly Hills Moonchild Glow Kit Alternative Is a Quarter of the Price," 15 Sep. 2017 The majority of it, however, was specked with red SALE signs, noting that the red, white, and blue a-line miniskirt was 40 percent off (from $80 to $53.40) and white sculpting mid-rise skinny jeans (from $89 to $36.60). — Emily Jane Fox, vanityfair.com, "Fear and Loathing in Bedminster: On the Ground in the Quiet, Bucolic Town Where Donald Trump Is Toying with Blowing Up the World," 10 Aug. 2017 The majority of it, however, was specked with red SALE signs, noting that the red, white, and blue a-line miniskirt was 40 percent off (from $80 to $53.40) and white sculpting mid-rise skinny jeans (from $89 to $36.60). — Emily Jane Fox, The Hive, "Fear and Loathing in Bedminster: On the Ground in the Quiet, Bucolic Town Where Donald Trump Is Toying with Blowing Up the World," 10 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'speck.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.