Meaning & use
dappled gray
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
having a gray color with lighter spots or patches, especially of a horse's coat
Grammar: Used before a noun: a dappled gray horse. It can also stand alone after a linking verb: the horse is dappled gray.
Patterns
- a dappled gray horse
- be dappled gray
The old mare was dappled gray, with soft spots of white across her back.
He rode a dappled gray horse that stood out in the parade.
nouncountable
a horse whose coat is gray with lighter spots
Grammar: Countable; plural is dappled grays. Often used in horse shows and breeding.
Patterns
- a dappled gray
- ride a dappled gray
She chose a dappled gray for the jumping competition.
The stable had three dappled grays and a black stallion.
Word forms
| plural | dappled grays |
|---|
Common combinations
- dappled gray horse
- A dappled gray horse trotted past the fence.
- dappled gray coat
- The pony's dappled gray coat shone in the sun.
- dappled gray mare
- The dappled gray mare was gentle with the children.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mottled gray
- Mottled gray suggests irregular patches rather than the soft, rounded spots typical of a dappled gray horse.
- speckled gray
- Speckled gray means covered with tiny dots, while dappled gray usually means larger, softer patches.
Word family
Commonly confused: dappled gray or dapple gray?
dappled gray vs dapple gray
Dapple gray is a variant spelling; dappled gray is the more common form in modern English.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'dappled gray' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Dappled gray describes a gray coat with lighter spots, most often a horse. The other options use colors that do not fit the meaning or are not typical collocations.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dappled gray”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.