Speck
/spɛk/noun
A small spot, particle, or tiny amount.
Did you know?The word is historically tied to the idea of a small pointed mark, and its relatives spread through Germanic languages in ways that preserve the sense of something tiny, sharp, and visible.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*spek-
“to prick, point, or be sharp”
Old High German
OHG
spek
“a small piece or speck; also related forms with the sense of a point or small object”
Middle English
English
spek
“a small spot or particle”
Modern English
English
speck
“a tiny spot, particle, or bit”