dapple
dapple Lexical Profile
dapple Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To mark or become marked with rounded spots or patches of light, shade, or color.
"Morning sunlight filtered through the oak leaves to dapple the forest floor."
• adjective
Marked with rounded spots or patches of different shades or colors, especially on the coat of an animal.
"The rider guided her dapple mare along the shaded woodland trail."
• noun
A rounded spot, patch, or mottled marking of color or light on a surface or an animal's coat.
"Soft dapples of afternoon sunlight danced across the stone patio."
A horse, dog, or other domestic mammal whose coat is marked with rounded spots of a different shade.
"The prize-winning dapple stood calmly in the paddock before the equestrian event."
• Rhymes for dapple
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the late 14th century in the compound 'dapple-gray', likely borrowed from Old Norse 'depill' meaning 'spot' or 'dot', a diminutive of 'dapi' meaning 'pool' or 'puddle'.