noun
Meaning 1
A distinguishing blotch of colour.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
mottle
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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UK: /ˈmɒt.əl/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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US: mǒt'l
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US: /ˈmɑ.təl/
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US: [ˈmɑ.ɾɫ̩]
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General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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homophone: model (t-flapping)
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rhymes with -ɒtəl
noun
Meaning 2
A mottled or spotted pattern.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
- The most common symptom is a mild mottle on the youngest leaves of infected plants.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
Any of several species of genus Logania of butterflies, found from Burma to the Philippines and New Guinea.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To mark with blotches of different color, or shades of color, as if stained; to spot; to maculate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
an irregular arrangement of patches of color
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- it was not dull grey as distance had suggested, but a mottle of khaki and black and olive-green
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: color, colour, coloring, colouring
verb
Meaning 6
colour with streaks or blotches of different shades
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: dapple, cloud
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: spot
Narrower terms: harlequin, stipple, speckle
verb
Meaning 7
mark with spots or blotches of different color or shades of color as if stained
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: streak, blotch
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: color, colorize, colorise, colourise, colourize, colour, color in, colour in
History
Etymology
1670-80. Probably back-formation from motley.
Across languages
Translations
2 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- French: tacheter — to mark with blotches of different color, or shades of color, as if stained; to spot; to maculate — see also maculate
- French: barbouiller — to mark with blotches of different color, or shades of color, as if stained; to spot; to maculate — see also maculate