sprinkle

present singular third person sprinkles · participle present sprinkling · participle past sprinkled · past sprinkled

1. transitiveTo cause (a substance) to fall in fine drops (for a liquid substance) or small pieces (for a solid substance).

   The confectioner sprinkled icing sugar over the cakes.

   3 more examples

   And the priest shall[…]sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Leviticus 14:16

   At twilight in the summer[…]the mice come out. They[…]eat the luncheon crumbs. Mr. Checkly, for instance, always brought his dinner in a paper parcel in his coat-tail pocket, and ate it when so disposed, sprinkling crumbs lavishly[…]on the floor.

   1892, Walter Besant, chapter II, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC

   Over the centuries the movement of clans and tribes of people has provided the kind of crop that would emerge if a blind god had sprinkled seeds at random on a field[.]

   1985, Robert Burchfield, The English Language, Oxford: Oxford University Press, page 137

2. transitiveTo cover (an object) by sprinkling a substance on to it.

   The confectioner sprinkled the cakes with icing sugar.

   1 more example

   Most of the passengers watched from the enclosed promenade deck, but Sandra found her way to the higher, open promenade where she shivered and watched the city lights fade and the stars sprinkle themselves across a dark blue velvet sky.

   2005, Justus Roux, Who's Your Daddy?, page 66

3. intransitiveTo drip in fine drops, sometimes sporadically.

   It sprinkled outside all day long.

4. intransitiveTo rain very lightly outside.

   It sprinkled very early in the morning.

5. transitiveTo baptize by the application of a few drops, or a small quantity, of water; hence, to cleanse; to purify.

   having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Hebrews 10:22

6. figurativelyTo spread, as if by sprinkling.

   What it was always going to be about was the manner of the victory. Whether there were any signs of Thomas Tuchel getting his messages across, sprinkling his magic.

   2025 March 24, David Hytner, “Reece James bends it like Beckham to help England break down Latvia”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 11 Aug 2025

plural sprinkles

1. A light covering with a sprinkled substance.

   He decorated the Christmas card with a sprinkle of glitter.

   1 more example

   My memory leaves me with a constant and deep burning, my eyes stinging and red from short sprinkles of tears which have been sneaking up on me for days now.

   1979 December 1, Ellen Brook Davis, “David Brill — In Memoriam”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 19, page 5

   Synonyms: sprinkling

2. A light rain shower.
3. An aspersorium or utensil for sprinkling.
4. A small hard piece of sugar and starch, or chocolate, used to decorate cakes etc.

   The sprinkles had the red food coloring E127, or erythrosine. E127 is only permitted for use in cocktail cherries and candied cherries in the UK and the EU, according to a statement from West Yorkshire Trading Standards sent to CNN Thursday.

   2021 October 14, Jack Guy, “UK bakery banned from using sprinkles which are legal in the US”, in CNN, archived from the original on 30 Dec 2021

   Synonyms: jimmy

plural Sprinkles

1. A surname.