speck

\ ˈspek

How to pronounce speck (audio)

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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

specked; specking; specks

Definition of speck (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to produce specks on or in

Other Words from speck Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about speck

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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 Strong winds shook and bowed the shelter’s red nylon walls, a speck of color amid a thousand miles of blackness. — Adventure, "The untold story of the boldest polar expedition of modern times," 23 Dec. 2020 The only blood found on Lizzie Borden was a tiny speck on an underskirt. — Erin Moriarty, CBS News, "Did a suspect hide blood evidence in plain sight?," 26 Mar. 2020 On a tiny speck of a frozen runway on the north bank of the Yukon River, nearly a hundred miles northwest of Fairbanks, Christmas was delivered in a most unusual way. — Mark Thiessen, Anchorage Daily News, "Pandemic forces National Guard to scale back Christmas tradition in rural Alaska," 15 Dec. 2020 Four pies are tomato-and-mozzarella-based with a mix of toppings, from speck, pineapple and jalapeno to sausage, peppers, onions and basil. — Marcy De Luna, Chron, "Nancy's Hustle's owners open new East downtown concept, Tiny Champions," 14 Dec. 2020 In the summer of 2018, Flowers met Rush at the speck of an airport in Montgomery, about fifty minutes from Collirene, to see her off to Washington. — Alexis Okeowo, The New Yorker, "The Heavy Toll of the Black Belt’s Wastewater Crisis," 23 Nov. 2020 Fern’s needs and rights are as basic as those of the Joad family, yet there was a breadth and an uplift to their yearning that has since dwindled to a speck. — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, "Economic Ruthlessness on the Open Road in “Nomadland”," 27 Nov. 2020 Colich, a speck of blue in a Republican sea, is like many Biden voters around here who feel it best to keep their heads down. — Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, "Meet the ‘shy’ Biden voters quietly living in Pennsylvania’s Trump country," 30 Oct. 2020 Campaign signs speck front yards along the highway as every seat is up for grabs. E. Mark Braden, a lawyer for the county, argued that the old map was fair. — Nicholas Casey, New York Times, "A Voting Rights Battle in a School Board ‘Coup’," 25 Oct. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The 656-foot vessel, called the Golden Ray, has been lying since early September off a slice of the Georgia coast specked with resorts and sprawling high-dollar homes. — New York Times, "After a Giant Ship Goes Belly Up, Many Fear a Shoreline Is Next," 16 Nov. 2019 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.

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Dictionary Entries near speck

specious present

Statistics for speck

Last Updated

31 Dec 2020

Cite this Entry

“Speck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speck. Accessed 24 Jan. 2021.

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