Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- transitive verb To mark with spots or blotches of different shades or colors.
- noun A spot or blotch of color.
- noun A variegated pattern, as on marble.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To mark with spots or blotches of different colors or shades of color; blotch; variegate; cloud.
- noun The pattern or arrangement of spots and cloudings forming a mottled surface, especially in marble or in the natural veining of wood.
- noun One of the spots or blotches which together constitute a mottling.
- noun plural See
diseased butter .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To mark with spots of different color, or shades of color, as if stained; to spot; to maculate.
- noun A mottled appearance.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To mark with spots of different color, or shades of color, as if stained; to
spot ; tomaculate . - noun a distinguishing blotch of color
- noun
mottled coloration or pattern
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb colour with streaks or blotches of different shades
- verb mark with spots or blotches of different color or shades of color as if stained
- noun an irregular arrangement of patches of color
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The characteristic markings on mahogany are "mottle," which is also found in sycamore, and is conspicuous on the backs of fiddles and violins, and is not in itself valuable; it runs the transverse way of the fibres and is probably the effect of the wind upon the tree in its early stages of growth.
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"mottle" behavior in the image generated by CMOS active pixel sensor devices.
unknown title 2009
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"mottle" behavior in the image generated by CMOS active pixel sensor devices.
unknown title 2009
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Or invent an anxious axolotl whose gross debilitating mottle ...
With apologies to everyone who's read this doggerel before sandramcdonald 2008
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The old mottle was fat cat fundraising, a small number of large contributions from rich people and special interests.
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The skin on his face looks oniony, translucent, and large splotches of gray mottle the greenish hue.
The Mother Garden Robin Romm 2007
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The skin on his face looks oniony, translucent, and large splotches of gray mottle the greenish hue.
The Mother Garden Robin Romm 2007
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She stood there weeding with a tiny trowel, her figure slightly warped and distorted by the mottle of the glass.
The Beautiful Miscellaneous Dominic Smith 2007
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Lowland Greater Mindanao is home to endangered mammals also found in other parts of the Philippines, including the golden-capped fruit bat (Acerodon jubatus) and the mottle-winged flying-fox (Pteropus leucopterus) (found on Luzon and Dinagat).
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Deep crimson stains mottle the pages of humanity's history.
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