mottle
Blotchy color pattern
Mottle refers to irregular patches or spots of different colors or shades on a surface.
Skin may be mottled from cold, age, or illness.
Marble and certain woods show natural mottling.
The verb means to mark with such patches: Sunlight mottled the forest floor.
The pattern suggests unevenness rather than deliberate design.
Marked with spots
- spottedSeen or patterned
- speckledDotted with small marks
- blotchedMarked with irregular spots
- splotchedIrregularly marked or stained
patchy · marbled · flecked · stippled · freckled · pied · brindled · variegated
Spotted African wild cat
- giraffeTallest land animal
- tabbyPatterned domestic cat
- calicoPatchy-coated cat type
- tortoiseshellMottled brown-yellow shell material
piebald · pinto · merle · brindled · dapple · trout · guinea · dalmatian
Marked with spots
- marbledStreaked with irregular patterns
- speckledDotted with small marks
- stippledMarked with small dots
- tortoiseshellMottled brown-yellow shell material
terrazzo · granite · jasper · camouflage · tie-dye · batik · sponged · heathered
Marked with different colors
Having small pigmented spots
- birthmarkCongenital skin discoloration
- vitiligoMelanocyte-loss skin condition
- pigmentedHaving color added
- sun-damagedHarmed by ultraviolet light
discolored · blemished · patchy · blotchy · rash · hyperpigmented
dappled
Marked with spots
splotched · patchy · marbled · flecked · stippled · freckled · pied · brindled · variegated · discolored
leopard
Spotted African wild cat
tortoiseshell · piebald · pinto · merle · brindled · dapple · trout · guinea · dalmatian · ocelot
dappled
Marked with spots
- marbledStreaked with irregular patterns
- speckledDotted with small marks
- stippledMarked with small dots
tortoiseshell · terrazzo · granite · jasper · camouflage · tie-dye · batik · sponged · heathered · tweedy
variegated
Marked with different colors
freckled
Having small pigmented spots
- birthmarkCongenital skin discoloration
- vitiligoMelanocyte-loss skin condition
- pigmentedHaving color added
sun-damaged · discolored · blemished · patchy · blotchy · rash · hyperpigmented
cryptic
Obscure in meaning
- disruptiveTending to interrupt order
- concealmentAct of hiding something
- dazzleImpress through radiance
breakup · woodland · desert · adaptive · predator · prey · ambush · blend · hide
- patternspattern, chevron, geometric pattern, stripes, plaid
- discolorationdiscoloration, stain, stains, staining, spots
- spotsspot, blot, blotch, dot, fleck
- animal markingsspots, stripes, rings, patches, bands
- nature patternsspiral, fractal, honeycomb, branching, symmetry
- specklesspeck, fleck, dot, spot, freckle
mottleuniform
Identical throughout
solid · even · homogeneous · plain · monochrome
- mottled skinIrregularly pigmented body surface