sprinkle

[ spring-kuhl ]
See synonyms for sprinkle on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),sprin·kled, sprin·kling.
  1. to scatter (a liquid, powder, etc.) in drops or particles: She sprinkled sugar on the cake.

  2. to disperse or distribute here and there.

  1. to overspread with drops or particles of water, powder, or the like: to sprinkle a lawn.

  2. to diversify or intersperse with objects scattered here and there.

verb (used without object),sprin·kled, sprin·kling.
  1. to scatter or disperse liquid, a powder, etc., in drops or particles.

  2. to be sprinkled.

  1. to rain slightly (often used impersonally with it as subject): It may sprinkle this evening.

noun
  1. the act or an instance of sprinkling.

  2. Usually sprinkles. small particles of chocolate, candy, sugar, etc., used as a decorative topping for cookies, cakes, ice-cream cones, and the like.

  1. a light rain.

  2. a small quantity or number.

  3. a small party given to celebrate a mother-to-be or bride-to-be as an alternative to a larger bridal or baby shower: We decided to skip the big baby shower and just have a sprinkle this time.

  4. Archaic. something used for sprinkling: a holy-water sprinkle.

Origin of sprinkle

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb sprenklen; cognate with Dutch sprenkelen, German sprenkeln; akin to Old English sprengan “to sprinkle, make (something) spring, scatter,” causative of springan “to spring”; see spring

synonym study For sprinkle

1. Sprinkle, scatter, strew mean to fling, spread, or disperse. To sprinkle means to fling about small drops or particles: to sprinkle water on clothes, powder on plants. To scatter is to disperse or spread widely: to scatter seeds. To strew is to scatter, especially in such a way as to cover or partially cover a surface: to strew flowers on a grave.

Other words for sprinkle

Other words from sprinkle

  • in·ter·sprin·kle, verb (used with object), in·ter·sprin·kled, in·ter·sprin·kling.
  • pre·sprin·kle, verb (used with object), pre·sprin·kled, pre·sprin·kling.
  • re·sprin·kle, verb, re·sprin·kled, re·sprin·kling.
  • un·sprin·kled, adjective

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

How to use sprinkle in a sentence

  • We made for West Cowes, where the sea brims up to the streets and the spray sometimes sprinkles the shop windows.

    The Relief of Mafeking | Filson Young
  • Sea sprinkles wrinkles, tinkles lightShells' bells—boy's joys that hap to snap!

  • She sprinkles refreshing dew upon the thirsty flowers, who have bravely raised their heads to the sun all day.

  • They are thin sprinkles of oaks and chestnuts and cork-trees over steep hill-slopes.

    Sea and Sardinia | D. H. Lawrence
  • A charming addition to the safety razor is a little fountain attachment that sprinkles the user with Bay Rum.

British Dictionary definitions for sprinkle

sprinkle

/ (ˈsprɪŋkəl) /


verb
  1. to scatter (liquid, powder, etc) in tiny particles or droplets over (something)

  2. (tr) to distribute over (something): the field was sprinkled with flowers

  1. (intr) to drizzle slightly

noun
  1. the act or an instance of sprinkling or a quantity that is sprinkled

  2. a slight drizzle

Origin of sprinkle

1
C14: probably from Middle Dutch sprenkelen; related to Old English spearca spark 1

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