Dapple - Meaning, Definition & English Examples
Dapple means to mark or become marked with spots or patches of color or light, often creating a mottled effect. It is commonly used to describe patterns on animals, like horses, or sunlight filtering through leaves.
Definition:
Marked with spots or rounded patches of color or light.
Synonyms:
speckle, mottle, fleck, spot
Part of Speech:
verb, noun
Antonyms:
unblemished, uniform
Common Collocations:
dapple-gray horse, dappled sunlight, dappled shade
Derivatives:
dappled, dappling
Usage Tips:
Use "dapple" to describe patterns of light or color, often on animals or natural surfaces like leaves in sunlight.
Common Phrases:
dapple-gray, dappled with light, dapple the landscape
Etymology:
From Middle English "dappel," possibly related to Old Norse "depill" (spot) or Dutch "dapperen" (to tremble).
Examples:
- 1. The sunlight dappled the forest floor through the leaves.
- 2. Her horse was a beautiful dapple-gray with a gentle temperament.
- 3. The pond’s surface was dappled with reflections of the trees above.
- 4. We rested in the dappled shade of the old oak tree.