Dapple
/ˈdæp.əl/noun
To mark or be marked with spots or patches of color.
Did you know?Dapple is related to Old English *dapol* and likely imitates the idea of a speckled or mottled surface, giving everyday English a word that feels almost like a spell for broken light.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
dapol
“mottled, speckled”
Middle English
ME
dapplen
“to mark with spots or patches”
16th Century
English
dapple
“a spotted or variegated marking”
16th–17th Century
English
dappled
“marked with irregular spots of color”
Modern English
English
dapple
“to spot or shade irregularly with patches of light and color”
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