spot·ty

[spot-ee]
adjective, spot·ti·er, spot·ti·est.
1.
full of, having, or occurring in spots: spotty coloring.
2.
irregular or uneven in quality or character: a spotty performance.

Origin:
1300–50; Middle English; see spot, -y1

spot·ti·ly, adverb
spot·ti·ness, noun


2. erratic, random, sporadic, episodic.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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World English Dictionary
spotty (ˈspɒtɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj , -tier, -tiest
1.  abounding in or characterized by spots or marks, esp on the skin: a spotty face
2.  not consistent or uniform; irregular or uneven, often in quality
 
'spottily
 
adv
 
'spottiness
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Spotty is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

spotty
mid-14c., "marked with spots," from spot (n.). Meaning "unsteady, uneven" is attested from 1932, from a more specific use with ref. to painting (1812).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
With news being as spotty as it is, that's inevitable.
The intensity of his situation was palpable, even over the spotty, time-delayed
  connection.
He speaks conservatism as a second language, and his mastery of the basic
  grammar of politics is often spotty as well.
The data on unemployment were too spotty to be comparable and so this important
  factor is discounted too.
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