Meaning & use
dapple
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Meaning
verbtransitiveliterary
To mark a surface with spots or patches of a lighter or darker color or shade.
Grammar: Takes an object and is most often used in the passive: be dappled with light.
Patterns
- dapple something with something
- be dappled with light/shade
Morning light dappled the path through the trees.
The foal's gray coat was dappled with white.
Sunlight dappled the surface of the pond.
Word forms
| third person singular | dapples |
|---|---|
| past tense | dappled |
| past participle | dappled |
| -ing form | dappling |
Common combinations
- dappled sunlight
- We had lunch in the dappled sunlight under the plane trees.
- dappled shade
- The cat slept in the dappled shade of the garden.
- a dappled coat
- The young horse had a dappled coat that darkened as it grew.
- dappled with light
- The floor was dappled with light from the stained-glass window.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- dappled adjective
- Marked with patches of color or shade; the most common form of the word.
Commonly confused: dapple or dabble?
dapple vs dabble
Dabble means to do something casually or to dip something in water; only dapple relates to spots of color or light.
Practice
Which form correctly completes the sentence? 'We rested in the ______ shade of the old apple tree.'
Choose one answer.
The blank needs an adjective before the noun 'shade,' so 'dappled' is correct; the other options are verb forms and cannot describe a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dapple”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.