stipple
stipple Lexical Profile
stipple Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The art or technique of drawing, painting, or engraving by using numerous small dots or flecks rather than continuous lines or solid shading.
"The illustrator used pen-and-ink stipple to create subtle gradations of shadow across the portrait."
A speckled pattern, texture, or visual effect produced by many small dots or spots of color or light.
"A soft stipple of sunlight filtered through the dense canopy onto the forest floor."
• verb
To draw, paint, or engrave by applying numerous small dots or touches rather than continuous strokes.
"She carefully stippled the background with a stiff bristle brush to give the wall a textured finish."
To mark or cover a surface with small spots, flecks, or patches of color, light, or shadow.
"Wildflowers stippled the green hillside with vibrant patches of yellow and violet."
• Rhymes for stipple
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-17th century from Dutch stippelen ('to prick, speckle, or make points'), a frequentative form of stippen ('to prick or dot'), from stip ('point' or 'dot').