dapple

American  

[dap-uhl] / ˈdæp əl /

noun

1. a spot or mottled marking, usually occurring in clusters.

2. an animal with a mottled skin or coat.

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adjective

1. dappled; spotted.

   a dapple horse.

verb (used with or without object)

dappled, dappling

1. to mark or become marked with spots.

dapple British  

/ ˈdæpəl /

verb

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

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noun

1. mottled or spotted markings

2. a dappled horse, etc

adjective

1. marked with dapples or spots

Etymology

Origin of dapple

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

Example Sentences

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 • Mar. 22, 2024

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 • Mar. 22, 2023

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

From Scientific American • Dec. 20, 2022

Also quiet, if more dramatic, is “March Morning,” in which daybreak begins to dapple beads of light on a still-dark ocean.

From Washington Post • Jul. 15, 2022

Selmy fell in beside her on his dapple grey.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin