speck

[ spek ]
See synonyms for: speckspeckedspeckingspeckless on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a small spot differing in color or substance from that of the surface or material upon which it appears or lies: Specks of soot on the window sill.

  2. a very little bit or particle: We haven't a speck of sugar.

  1. something appearing small by comparison or by reason of distance: By then the town was just a speck.

verb (used with object)
  1. to mark with, or as with, a speck or specks.

Origin of speck

1
before 900; Middle English specke,Old English specca; cognate with Dutch spikkel

Other words from speck

  • speck·ed·ness [spek-id-nis], /ˈspɛk ɪd nɪs/, noun
  • speckless, adjective
  • speck·less·ly, adverb
  • speck·less·ness, noun

Words Nearby speck

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use speck in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for speck

speck

/ (spɛk) /


noun
  1. a very small mark or spot

  2. a small or tiny piece of something

verb
  1. (tr) to mark with specks or spots

Origin of speck

1
Old English specca; related to Middle Dutch spekelen to sprinkle

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012