dapple

[ dap-uhl ]

noun

1. a spot or mottled marking, usually occurring in clusters.
2. an animal with a mottled skin or coat.

adjective

1. dappled; spotted:

   a dapple horse.

verb (used with or without object)

, dap·pled, dap·pling.

1. to mark or become marked with spots.

dapple

/ ˈdæpəl /

verb

1. to mark or become marked with spots or patches of a different colour; mottle

noun

1. mottled or spotted markings
2. a dappled horse, etc

adjective

1. marked with dapples or spots

Word History and Origins

Origin of dapple¹

First recorded in 1545–55; probably back formation from dappled

Word History and Origins

Origin of dapple¹

C14: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

After all, the dapple of sunlit pool water reflected on the underside of a patio umbrella on a 75-degree day in June is just the mirror image of a grimy, chilly May fog crystallized on the palm trees lining cracked asphalt streets.

From Los Angeles Times

After all, the dapple of sunlit pool water reflected on the underside of a patio umbrella on a 75-degree day in June is just the mirror image of a grimy, chilly May fog crystallized on the palm trees lining cracked asphalt streets.

From Los Angeles Times

The rescued tree, says the 48-year-old Furlanetto, “became part of the architecture,” casting shadows through a skylight that dapple the internal concrete ramp for which the project was named.

From New York Times

So when the rain comes, it doesn't just dapple us with light sprinkles, it drops the heavier load of moisture that has been accumulating for a longer time.

From Salon

Gleaming spots caused by methane ice clouds in the planet's atmosphere dapple its lower half.

From Scientific American