Stipple
/ˈstɪp.əl/noun
To mark or decorate with small dots or specks, or a pattern made of such marks.
Did you know?Stipple is a relatively recent English word, and its exact origin is uncertain, but it likely grew from a Scandinavian or Low German source tied to pecking or pricking—language literally describing tiny punctures.
Etymological Timeline
Late 17th Century
English
stipple
“To mark with small dots or specks; to make a dotted texture.”
17th Century
English
stippel
“An early variant spelling in English with the same dotted-marking sense.”
Middle Low German / Low German
Germanic
stippeln
“To prick, peck, or make small marks; a likely source or close relative.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*stipp-
“A base associated with stabbing, pecking, or pointed motion.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*steip-
“To prick, stab, or press with a pointed motion.”