Meaning & use
mottling
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Meanings
noununcountable
A pattern of uneven blotches or patches of different colors on a surface.
Grammar: Usually uncountable: there was mottling on the wall.
Patterns
- mottling of something
- mottling on something
The mottling on the old leaves showed that the plant was diseased.
Light mottling in the marble gave the floor an interesting texture.
The grey and green mottling of the stone made it look like moss.
noununcountablemedical
Blotchy, purplish marking on the skin caused by uneven blood flow, often noticed in illness or cold.
Grammar: Used without a before it: nurses noted mottling on the legs.
Patterns
- mottling of the skin
- mottling on the legs
The nurse noticed mottling on the patient's knees and called the doctor.
Mottling of the skin can be a sign that circulation is poor.
His hands showed some mottling after he spent an hour in the cold.
Common combinations
- skin mottling
- Skin mottling appeared on her arms and legs.
- noticeable mottling
- There was noticeable mottling on the surface of the glaze.
- mottling of the skin
- Mottling of the skin should be checked by a doctor.
- mottling effect
- The paint gave a mottling effect on the walls.
Synonyms and how they differ
- blotchiness
- Blotchiness is more general and often describes red patches on a face, whereas mottling suggests a patchy mix of colors.
- speckling
- Speckling means many tiny dots, while mottling is larger, uneven patches.
- marbling
- Marbling describes flowing veins like marble, often attractive, while mottling is more random and often unwelcome.
- dappling
- Dappling usually describes pleasant patches of light and shade, and mottling usually describes color on a surface.
Opposites
Word family
- mottle verb
- to mark with patches of color
- mottled adjective
- covered in uneven patches
- mottle noun
- one of the patches
Commonly confused: mottling or motley?
mottling vs motley
Motley describes a varied collection, as in a motley crew, whereas mottling describes patches of color.
Practice
The nurse wrote that there was ___ on the patient's legs, which means blotchy patches of uneven color.
Choose one answer.
Mottling is blotchy coloring of the skin. The other words sound similar but have unrelated meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mottling”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.