stipple

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: stip=ple

CIDE DICTIONARY

stipple, v. t. [D. stippelen to make points, to spot, dot, from stippel, dim. of stip a dot, spot.].

•  To engrave by means of dots, in distinction from engraving in lines.  [1913 Webster]

  "The interlaying of small pieces can not altogether avoid a broken, stippled, spotty effect."  [1913 Webster]
•  To paint, as in water colors, by small, short touches which together produce an even or softly graded surface.  [1913 Webster]

stipple, n. 

•  A mode of execution which produces the effect by dots or small points instead of lines.  [1913 Webster]
•  A mode of execution in which a flat or even tint is produced by many small touches.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

stipple, v. & n.
--v.
1 tr. & intr. draw or paint or engrave etc. with dots instead of lines.
2 tr. roughen the surface of (paint, cement, etc.).
--n.
1 the process or technique of stippling.
2 the effect of stippling.

Derivative

stippler n. stippling n.

Etymology

Du. stippelen frequent. of stippen to prick f. stip point

THESAURUS

stipple

apply paint, autolithograph, band, bar, be a printmaker, bedaub, bedizen, begild, besmear, bespangle, bespeckle, bespot, blotch, brush on paint, burr, calcimine, carve, character, check, checker, chisel, chiseling, coat, color, complexion, cover, crease, cribble, cross-hatching, crosshatch, cut, dab, dapple, dappledness, dappleness, daub, deep-dye, demitint, dip, distemper, dot, dottedness, double-dye, dye, emblazon, enamel, enchase, engild, engrave, engravement, engraving, etch, etching, face, fast-dye, flake, fleck, freckle, freckliness, fresco, furrow, gem-engraving, gild, glass-cutting, glaze, gloss, glyptic, grain, grave, graving, groove, half tint, harlequin, hatch, hatching, hue, illuminate, imbue, incise, incision, ingrain, inscribe, inscript, inscription, iris, japan, lacquer, lay on color, line, lining, lithograph, macula, maculate, maculation, macule, make prints, marble, marbleize, mark, marking, motley, mottle, mottledness, paint, parget, patch, pepper, pigment, pointillage, pointillism, polka dot, polychrome, polychromize, prime, print, rainbow, score, scoring, scrape, scratch, scratching, sculpture, shade, shadow, shellac, slash, slashing, slop on paint, smear, spangle, speck, speckle, speckliness, splash, splotch, spot, spottedness, spottiness, sprinkle, stain, stigmatize, stippledness, stippling, streak, striate, stripe, stud, tattoo, tessellate, tinct, tincture, tinge, tint, tone, tool, tooling, type-cutting, undercoat, variegate, varnish, vein, wash, whitewash

ROGET THESAURUS

stipple

Variegation

VB be variegated, variegate, stripe, streak, checker, chequer, bespeckle, speckle, besprinkle, sprinkle, stipple, maculate, dot, bespot, tattoo, inlay, damascene, embroider, braid, quilt.

Painting

VB paint, design, limn draw, sketch, pencil, scratch, shade, stipple, hatch, dash off, chalk out, square up, color, dead color, wash, varnish, draw in pencil, paint in oils, stencil, depict.

Engraving

VB engrave, grave, stipple, scrape, etch, bite, bite in, lithograph, print.