Meaning & use
dappled grey
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a nounBritish
Having a grey coat with darker, mottled spots, especially of a horse.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a dappled-grey horse. It can also stand alone after a linking verb: The horse is dappled grey.
Patterns
- a dappled-grey horse
- dappled grey in color
She rode a beautiful dappled-grey mare.
The dappled-grey pony stood quietly in the field.
His horse was dappled grey with a dark mane.
nouncountableBritish
A horse with a grey coat marked with darker spots.
Grammar: Countable: a dappled grey, two dappled greys.
Patterns
- ride a dappled grey
- a dappled grey in the stable
He bought a dappled grey for the show.
The dappled grey was the calmest horse in the yard.
Word forms
| plural | dappled greys |
|---|
Common combinations
- dappled-grey horse
- The dappled-grey horse trotted around the ring.
- dappled-grey mare
- A dappled-grey mare grazed in the meadow.
- dappled-grey coat
- The pony had a thick dappled-grey coat.
- dappled grey in color
- The foal was dappled grey in color, like its mother.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dapple gray
- The American spelling; dappled grey is the British form.
- mottled grey
- A more general term for any grey surface with patches of different shades.
Word family
Commonly confused: dappled grey or dapple gray?
dappled grey vs dapple gray
The same meaning, but the American spelling uses 'gray' instead of 'grey'.
Practice
The horse had a ______ coat with darker spots.
Choose one answer.
The adjective 'dappled-grey' correctly describes the coat. The other options are not standard English words.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dappled grey”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.