mottle
1 of 2noun
mot·tle ˈmä-tᵊl 
1
: a colored spot
2
a
: a surface having colored spots or blotches
b
: the arrangement of such spots or blotches on a surface
3
: mosaic sense 5
mottle
2 of 2verb
mottled; mottling ˈmät-liŋ
ˈmä-tᵊl-iŋ
transitive verb
: to mark with spots or blotches of different color or shades of color as if stained
mottler
ˈmät-lər
noun ˈmä-tᵊl-ər
Synonyms
Noun
- blotch
- dapple
- dot
- eyespot
- fleck
- patch
- pip
- point
- speck
- speckle
- splotch
- spot
Verb
- blotch
- dapple
- dot
- fleck
- freckle
- marble
- pepper
- shoot
- speck
- speckle
- splotch
- spot
- sprinkle
- stipple
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun canvases covered with streaks and mottles Verb old papers that were mottled by mold
Recent Examples on the Web
Katie Becker, Harper's BAZAAR, 5 Oct. 2015 Washington Post, 29 Nov. 2021 Steckly had a long and mottled driving history, dating back to age 19. oregonlive, 15 May 2020 The 11 brought to White Lake on Tuesday are still mottled brown and white. Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2019 So dire was the state of U.S. dentition that in 1901, Frederick McKay’s discovery that many of his patients’ teeth were mottled with ugly brown stains generated little notice. Charles C. Mann, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2020 The next day, as the bananas were mottling, a brainstorm hit. Susan Gubar, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2020 Down the slope ahead of him, 500 black Drakensberger and mottled Nguni cows graze cheek by jowl. David Mckenzie, CNN, 6 Mar. 2020 Some of species' pitchers have mottled coloring that looks a bit like tasty carrion, which lures prey inside the pitcher. Liz Langley, National Geographic, 30 Oct. 2019 The light from these sources danced unpredictably and was always mottled by the smoke of imperfect combustion. Christopher Preston, Smithsonian, 26 Nov. 2019 See More
Noun
Remember to continue your daily sunscreen use to stave off more mottle. Katie Becker, Harper's BAZAAR, 5 Oct. 2015 Verb
Then there was the salt: sprinkled generously enough to mottle the fry’s golden skin and amplify the earthy flavors trapped inside. Washington Post, 29 Nov. 2021 Steckly had a long and mottled driving history, dating back to age 19. oregonlive, 15 May 2020 The 11 brought to White Lake on Tuesday are still mottled brown and white. Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2019 So dire was the state of U.S. dentition that in 1901, Frederick McKay’s discovery that many of his patients’ teeth were mottled with ugly brown stains generated little notice. Charles C. Mann, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2020 The next day, as the bananas were mottling, a brainstorm hit. Susan Gubar, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2020 Down the slope ahead of him, 500 black Drakensberger and mottled Nguni cows graze cheek by jowl. David Mckenzie, CNN, 6 Mar. 2020 Some of species' pitchers have mottled coloring that looks a bit like tasty carrion, which lures prey inside the pitcher. Liz Langley, National Geographic, 30 Oct. 2019 The light from these sources danced unpredictably and was always mottled by the smoke of imperfect combustion. Christopher Preston, Smithsonian, 26 Nov. 2019 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
probably back-formation from motley
First Known Use
Noun
1676, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1602, in the meaning defined above
mottling
verb
as in sprinkling
to mark with small spots especially unevenly old papers that were mottled by mold Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- sprinkling
- staining
- flecking
- speckling
- dotting
- stippling
- marbling
- blotching
- spotting
- dyeing
- splotching
- freckling
- dappling
- striping
- peppering
- specking
- banding
- streaking
- blotting
- shooting
- interspersing
- spattering
- barring
- studding
- setting
- bespattering