speckle

S1P3E1C3K5L1E1
/ˈspɛkəl/

noun

A small spot or speck on the skin, plumage or foliage.

Similar
splicing specklespotdapplepatchfleckmaculationstipplebespeckle
OriginMiddle Dutch spekkel →
UncommonScrabble 15
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Meanings

nounspeckle (countable and uncountable, plural speckles)

plural speckles

  1. countableuncountableA small spot or speck on the skin, plumage or foliage.
  2. countableuncountablenatural sciencesThe random distribution of light when it is scattered by a rough surface.
  3. ScotlandcountableuncountableKind; sort.
  4. countableuncountablebiologyA cluster of interchromatin granules in a nucleus.

    Synonyms: splicing speckle

verbspeckle (third-person singular simple present speckles, present participle speckling, simple past and past participle speckled)

present singular third person speckles · participle present speckling · participle past speckled · past speckled

  1. To mark with speckles.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA cluster of interchromatin granules in a nucleus.

Similar
splicing speckle

More synonyms by meaning

nouna small contrasting part of something

Similar
spotdapplepatchfleckmaculation
Broader
marking

verbproduce a mottled effect

Similar
stipple
Broader
mottledapplecloud

verbmark with small spots

Similar
bespeckle
Broader
spotfleckblob
Also see
bespeckledappledashfleckmaculationpatchspotstipple

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Dutchspekkel
  2. Englishspeckle

The noun is from Middle Dutch spekkel; the verb was later coined from the noun, in the late 16th century.

More words from Middle Dutch

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian петънце, луничка
  • петънце (petănce)small spot
  • луничка (lunička)small spot
  • разсеяна светлина (razsejana svetlina)physics: random distribution of scattered light
Finnish pilkku, epäkoherentti sironta
  • pilkkusmall spot
  • epäkoherentti sirontaphysics: random distribution of scattered light
  • täplittääto mark with speckles
German Fleck, Sprenkel
  • Flecksmall spot
  • Sprenkelsmall spot
Greek στίγμα, κηλίδα
  • στίγμα (stígma)small spot
  • κηλίδα (kilída)small spot
Māori pure
  • pureto mark with speckles
Russian пятнышко, крапинка
  • пятнышко (pjatnyško)small spot
  • крапинка (krapinka)small spot
  • крапить (krapitʹ)to mark with speckles
Turkish benek
  • beneksmall spot

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with speckle

shekelfreckleHaeckelheckledeckle
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

speckle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/speckle

MLA

“speckle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/speckle. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “speckle,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/speckle.

Source: speckle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.