mottle
UK: ˈmɒt(ə)l | US: ˈmɑːt(ə)l
vt. to mark with spots or blotches of different colors or shades
n. a pattern of spots or blotches
The word "mottle" likely derives from the Middle Dutch "motelen," meaning "to speckle," which is related to "mot" (spot or speck). The suffix "-le" is a frequentative or diminutive ending in English, often used to form verbs or nouns indicating small or repeated actions (e.g., "dazzle," "sparkle"). The morpheme "mott" preserves the core idea of spotting, while "-le" adds a sense of patterning or repetition. Over time, "mottle" evolved to describe irregular color distributions, particularly in natural contexts like animal fur or plant leaves.
The artist used a sponge to mottle the canvas with shades of blue and green.
The snake's skin was mottled with brown and yellow patches.
Sunlight filtering through the trees mottled the forest floor.
The disease caused her skin to become mottled with red spots.
The mottle on the butterfly’s wings provided excellent camouflage.