fleck

1 of 2

verb

flecked; flecking; flecks

transitive verb

1
: streak, spot
whitecaps flecked the blue sea
2
: to color as if by sprinkling with flecks
his wit is flecked with sarcasmJames Atlas

fleck

2 of 2

noun

1
: spot, mark
a brown tweed with flecks of yellow
2
: flake, particle
flecks of snow drifted down

Examples of fleck in a Sentence

Verb She flecked the canvas with blue paint. to achieve the desired effect, fleck the canvas with paint simply by flicking the brush close to the surface Noun a brown cloth with flecks of yellow The police found flecks of blood on his clothes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Nice flavors include Italian Butter Cookie (cookie pieces flecked into Speculoos ice cream with brown sugar and cinnamon) and Espresso Royale (dark roast coffee flavor with a blend of Ethiopian and Sumatra beans, with hints of vanilla and brown sugar). Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2025 On the menu Tuesday night, the first of the nine-day dinner series that ends April 30, were several dishes from Pujol’s past, including an avocado flauta with shrimp, and skewered baby corn coated in a coffee mayonnaise flecked with chicatana ants. Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
For me, there’s nothing more disappointing in a carrot cake than one that is light-colored and airy like, well, cake with flecks of carrots in it. Carolynn Carreño, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025 Plus, because of the wet look the pair have struck on, her color looks darker, too—interspersed with golden flecks and darker, acorn tones. Morgan Fargo, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fleck

Word History

Etymology

Verb

back-formation from flecked spotted, from Middle English; akin to Old High German flec spot, Old Norse flekkr

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fleck was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fleck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fleck. Accessed 12 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

fleck

1 of 2 verb

fleck

2 of 2 noun

More from Merriam-Webster on fleck

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