sprinkle

1 of 2

verb

sprin·​kle ˈspriŋ-kəl How to pronounce sprinkle (audio)
sprinkled; sprinkling ˈspriŋ-k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce sprinkle (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to scatter in drops or particles
2
a
: to scatter over
b
: to scatter at intervals in or among : dot
sprinkled the speech with quips
c
: to wet lightly

intransitive verb

1
: to scatter a liquid in fine drops
2
: to rain lightly in scattered drops
sprinkler noun

sprinkle

2 of 2

noun

1
: the act or an instance of sprinkling
especially : a light rain
2
3
sprinkles plural : small particles of candy used as a topping (as on ice cream) : jimmies

Examples of sprinkle in a Sentence

Verb He sprinkled water on the plants. I sprinkled grass seed over the soil. She sprinkled the clothes before ironing them. “Is it raining?” “It's just sprinkling a little.” Noun It rained last night, but it was just a sprinkle. She topped the pasta with a sprinkle of parsley.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
But even with her wealth of knowledge, her meetings are often sprinkled with a dose of distrust. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024 The wine collection is being billed as one of the largest in the state, and subtle nods to Mahomes’s and Kelce’s on-field accomplishments will be sprinkled throughout the space. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2024 That’s the sort of stat-that-gives-you-pause that’s sprinkled throughout a documentary like this one. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Eventually, the green onions will form blooms at the top of their stalks which will produce seeds that can be sprinkled elsewhere for even more green onions. Alex Groves, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 More than half a century since humans set foot on the moon, Earth is sprinkled with launchpads, formidable signs of our space-explorer status. Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2024 About 20 individual programs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act and the Chips and Science Act are likely to sprinkle tens of billions of dollars across the economy over the next half-decade, the largest such geographically focused effort in years. Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 Serve Place spaghetti on plate and sprinkle with cheese, then place salmon on top. Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 2 Mar. 2024 Performances by the other four nominees in the category were sprinkled throughout the show. Paul Grein, Billboard, 28 Feb. 2024
Noun
The inspiration for the love interest, Hayes, turned out to be a mix of elements: ex-boyfriends, her husband and a sprinkle of Eddie Redmayne. Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024 Each of those warm, caramelized orange halves is then plated with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, an additional sprinkle of cardamom and a sprig of mint for an absolutely delightful dessert. Ellie Krieger, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 The paintings had a small vocabulary of simple shapes (dollar bills, hearts, globes, crawling babies), applied to the picture plane with no great attention to exact placement or color, like a baker applying sprinkles to a birthday cake. Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 There's also other classic donuts available in heart shapes with pink, red and white sprinkles. Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2024 Top the finished drink with a sprinkle of chia seeds. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2024 Get The Recipe 23 of 29 Sprinkle Stocking Cookies Use red and green sprinkles to decorate these stockings. Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2024 This season, the spring 2024 drop feels more elevated than ever with timeless staples perfect for everyday wear along with a sprinkle of glam for evening festivities. Alexis Bennett Parker, Vogue, 29 Feb. 2024 Transfer the squash to a platter flesh side up, then top with the chickpeas, some of the ginger yogurt and a sprinkle of marjoram leaves. Ali Slagle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sprinkle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English sprenklen, sprinclen; akin to Middle High German spreckel, sprenkel spot

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1575, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of sprinkle was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near sprinkle

Cite this Entry

“Sprinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sprinkle. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sprinkle

1 of 2 verb
sprin·​kle ˈspriŋ-kəl How to pronounce sprinkle (audio)
sprinkled; sprinkling -k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce sprinkle (audio)
1
: to scatter in drops or particles
sprinkle water
sprinkle grass seed over the soil
2
a
: to scatter over or in or among
sprinkle the spaghetti with grated cheese
b
: to wet lightly
sprinkle clothes before ironing
3
: to rain lightly in scattered drops
sprinkler noun

sprinkle

2 of 2 noun
1
: the act or an instance of sprinkling
especially : a light rain
2

Legal Definition

sprinkle

transitive verb
sprin·​kle
sprinkled; sprinkling
: spray

More from Merriam-Webster on sprinkle

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