mottlingn.

1839 A. Ure Dict. Arts 1143 Mottling is usually given..by introducing into the nearly finished soap..a certain quantity of the strong lye of crude soda.

1851 J. P. Nichol Archit. Heavens (ed. 9) 49 The stippling is no illusion, as its dark mottling moves with the stars.

1875 E. A. Davidson House-painting 107 The over-graining of maple should be done on the same day as the mottling.

1913 W. Bateson Mendel's Princ. Heredity (new ed.) 42 Pencilling is a dominant to its absence, and various mottlings are also dominant.

1929 I. V. S. Stanislaus Amer. Soap Maker's Guide xv. 331 Simple mottling can only be produced when the soap is sufficiently hot.

1966 M. Frayn Russian Interpreter xxiv. 130 The walls of the staircase were..worn down to such a variety of levels of paint and plaster and brick that the mottling seemed almost uniform.

1992 Artist's & Illustrator's Mag. Oct. 47/2 (caption) This mixture dries rather too rapidly and any..stroking or mottling with a large badger brush must be done whilst it is still wet.