mottle

mot·tle  (mtl)

tr.v. mot·tled, mot·tling, mot·tles

To mark with spots or blotches of different shades or colors.

n.

1. A spot or blotch of color.

2. A variegated pattern, as on marble.

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[Probably back-formation from motley.]

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mottler n.

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mottle [ˈmɒt^əl]

vb

(Fine Arts & Visual Arts / Art Terms) (tr) to colour with streaks or blotches of different shades

n

1. (Fine Arts & Visual Arts / Art Terms) a mottled appearance, as of the surface of marble

2. (Fine Arts & Visual Arts / Art Terms) one streak or blotch of colour in a mottled surface

[back formation from motley]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	mottle - an irregular arrangement of patches of color; "it was not dull grey as distance had suggested, but a mottle of khaki and black and olive-green" color, coloring, colouring, colour - a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect; "a white color is made up of many different wavelengths of light"
Verb	1.	mottle - mark with spots or blotches of different color or shades of color as if stained blotch, streak color, color in, colorise, colorize, colour in, colourise, colourize, colour - add color to; "The child colored the drawings"; "Fall colored the trees"; "colorize black and white film"
	2.	mottle - colour with streaks or blotches of different shades dapple, cloud spot - mark with a spot or spots so as to allow easy recognition; "spot the areas that one should clearly identify" harlequin - variegate with spots or marks; "His face was harlequined with patches" speckle, stipple - produce a mottled effect; "The sunlight stippled the trees"