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

Right now, Ultima Thule still appears as just a light speck in the New Horizons images, since the vehicle is about 100 million miles away from the object. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "New Horizons sees you, Ultima Thule," 29 Aug. 2018 One speck of salt on the ground is enough to attract mice. — Danielle Tullo, House Beautiful, "8 Things You Need To Do To Get Rid Of Mice," 10 Aug. 2018 On the map, their homes are tiny specks in a vast sea of blue, rarely in the headlines and far removed from the centers of power. — Fox News, "Small islands use big platform to warn of climate change," 27 Sep. 2018 To top it off, both products are made with actual specks of 23-karat gold. — Tanisha Pina, Allure, "Tatcha's Labor Day Sale Features Major Deals on All These Skin-Care Products," 30 Aug. 2018 Those particles varied in size: the biggest were around half a millimeter, and the smallest were around a tenth as big as that, around the size of a speck of dust. — Cathleen O'grady, Ars Technica, "Plastic found in the poop of eight people from eight different countries," 24 Oct. 2018 From there, Hawaii is just a tiny target, a speck in the sea. — Brian Resnick, Vox, "Hawaii is facing a rare threat: a Category 5 hurricane," 22 Aug. 2018 Overstreet and Gorosh wanted the length of a human life to be represented as more than just a microscopic speck on their timeline. — Kevin Dupzyk, Popular Mechanics, "How to Make a Scale Model of the Universe," 21 Aug. 2018 But the rest of the world is gone — irrelevant, inconsequential, specks of sesame falling off a bagel. — Siddhartha Mukherjee, New York Times, "The Search for Cancer Treatment Beyond Mutant-Hunting," 13 June 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.