SKIP TO CONTENT

speckled

/ˈspɛkəld/
/ˈspɛkəld/
IPA guide

Something marked with small dots or spots is speckled. During your walk in the woods, you might see a speckled fawn, a little speckled frog, or even a bunch of speckled eggs in a nest.

A shirt that's covered in tiny polka dots is speckled, and a street might be speckled with confetti after a parade. Animal coats with irregular flecks of color are often described as speckled, like the speckled coat of a brown and white horse. The origin of this adjective is uncertain, but experts guess that it's connected to the Old English specca, "small spot or speck."

Definitions of speckled
  1. adjective
    having a pattern of dots
    patterned
    having patterns (especially colorful patterns)
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘speckled'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family