Dapple-Grey
/ˈdæp.əl ɡreɪ/noun
A gray horse coat marked with rounded spots or patches of lighter and darker color.
Did you know?The first half, dapple, is related to a Germanic word family for speckling or blotching, which is why English still uses it for mottled light patterns on animals, skin, and surfaces.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*dap-
“A base associated with striking, tapping, or speckling in Germanic word-formation”
Old English
OE
dapul / dapple
“A spot, blotch, or speckle”
Middle English
ME
dapple
“Marked with spots or patches; speckled”
Old English
OE
grǣg
“Gray; of a gray color”
Modern English
English
dapple-grey
“Gray with a mottled or spotted coat, especially of horses”