mottle

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: mott=le

CIDE DICTIONARY

mottle, v. t. [From Mottled.].

 To mark with spots of different color, or shades of color, as if stained; to spot; to maculate.  [1913 Webster]

mottle, n. 

 A mottled appearance.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

mottle, v. & n.
--v.tr. (esp. as mottled adj.) mark with spots or smears of colour.
--n.
1 an irregular arrangement of spots or patches of colour.
2 any of these spots or patches.

Etymology

prob. back-form. f. MOTLEY

THESAURUS

mottle

band, bar, bespangle, bespeckle, bespot, birthmark, blaze, blaze a trail, blemish, blotch, brand, caste mark, chalk, chalk up, check, check off, checker, checkmark, cicatrix, cicatrize, cut, dapple, dappledness, dappleness, dash, define, delimit, demarcate, discolor, discoloration, dot, dottedness, earmark, engrave, engraving, flake, fleck, flick, freckle, freckliness, gash, graving, hack, harlequin, hatch, impress, imprint, iris, jot, lentigo, line, macula, maculate, maculation, macule, make a mark, marble, marbleize, mark, mark off, mark out, marking, mole, motley, mottledness, nevus, nick, notch, patch, pencil, pepper, point, pointillage, pointillism, polka dot, polychrome, polychromize, prick, print, punch, punctuate, puncture, rainbow, riddle, scar, scarification, scarify, score, scotch, scratch, scratching, seal, seam, spangle, speck, speckle, speckliness, splash, splotch, spot, spottedness, spottiness, sprinkle, stain, stamp, stigma, stigmatize, stipple, stippledness, stippling, strawberry mark, streak, striate, stripe, stud, tattoo, tattoo mark, tessellate, tick, tick off, tittle, trace, underline, underscore, variegate, vein, watermark