(ppl.) a. and pa. pple. Also 5 spac-, spaklyd, spekelede, spekeld, specled, 6 spekeled, speckelde, 7 speckeld. [Corresponds to MDu. and WFlem. spekelde adj. and gespekeld (Du. gespikkeld) pa. pple. See SPECKLE sb.] Covered, dotted, or marked with (numerous) speckles or specks; variegated or flecked with spots of a different color from that of the main body; spotted.
1. In predicative use.
a. 1400. Stockholm Med. MS., ii. 658, in Anglia, XVIII. 323. His stalke is … Lyke nedderis hyde spaclyd amonge.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xxxi. 143. Þai bene of dyuerse coloures, as rayed, rede, grene and ȝalowe,… and all spekelede.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 467/1. Spaklyd, scutulatus.
1570. Levins, Manip., 49. Speckled, maculosus.
1612. T. Taylor, Comm. Titus, i. 15. He is no better than a leper in Gods eies,… outwardly spotted and speckled like the leopard.
1638. Junius, Paint. Ancients, 138. To have their … Pigeons speckled and painted after their own phantasie.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 7 May 1662. He drawing it [his arm] oute we found it all speckled.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), V. 265. She usually lays but one [egg], which is speckled.
1796. H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), I. 579. They are thus speckled, I admit, only on one side.
1861. Paley, Æschylus (ed. 2), Agam., 383, note. If unskilfully mixed it turns quite black externally, and is liable to become dim and speckled after being polished.
fig. 1614. T. Adams, Divell’s Banket, 25. The Conscience growes more speckled by them, till men become not only spotted, but spots.
b. Const. with something, esp. of a color different from that of the main surface or material.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 353/1. In the sayd welle appiere yet stones bespryncte and specled as it were with blood.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. IV., 12. Some had the mainferres … dropped and gutted with red and other had them spekeled with grene.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, 203. Two leaves, speckled with great redde spottes.
1653. W. Ramesey, Astrol. Restored, 57. The Heliotropion, is in colour green like a Jasper, speckled with red.
1735. Johnson, Lobo’s Abyssinia, Descr., xii. 114. These Serpents … have … their bellies speckled with Brown, Black, and Yellow.
1794. Mrs. Radcliffe, Myst. Udolpho, xxxiv. Its luxuriant plain … speckled with gardens and magnificent villas.
1825. Scott, Betrothed, x. As she beheld that the trophies were speckled with blood.
1891. Science-Gossip, XXVII. 23. With a dark zone of different shades of brown and black round the small end and speckled with the same colours on the other part.
2. In attrib. use. a. Of animals, their skin, parts, etc. Speckled beauty, a fine trout.
1482. Trevisa’s Higden (Caxton), II. xi. 86. Alle the spekeld lammes and kyddes.
a. 1547. Surrey, Æneid, II. B iv. The adder … Rered for wrath swelling her speckled neck.
1583. Melbancke, Philotimus, F iv b. A foxe though he haue not so gawdye a skin as the Leopard, hath more wit then the speckled foole.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. i. 17. She … turning fierce, her speckled taile aduaunst.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 5. They [sharks] are alwayes directed by a little specled fish, called a pilot fish.
1675. Hobbes, Odyssey (1677), 166. A goatskin … Of which a speckeld wild goat had been flaid.
1735. Somerville, Chase, I. 247. His Ears and Legs Fleckt here and there, in gay enamell’d Pride Rival the speckled Pard.
1789. E. Darwin, Bot. Gard., II. (1791), 109. Two Serpent forms … ploughed their foamy way with speckled breasts.
1832. Lytton, Eugene A., I. v. The speckled trout, fresh from the stream.
1859. Geo. Eliot, A. Bede, i. A clean old woman … talking to some speckled fowls.
1873. G. C. Davies, Mount. & Mere, xiv. 112. In the mean time I had landed two speckled beauties.
transf. 1598. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. i. III. Furies, 217. How many loathsome swarms Of speckled poysons … in close Ambush lurk.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 663. A Snake … renew’d in all the speckl’d Pride Of pompous Youth.
c. 1760. Smollett, Ode Leven-Water, 13. The springing trout in speckled pride.
b. Of flowers, stone, cloth, garments, etc.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., IV. (1586), 191 b. Veronica … beareth a leafe like the Blackthorne, with a blewish speckled flowre.
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., II. 211. Ouer the body they haue built a tombe of speckled stone.
1648. Hexham, II. Gespickelt laken, Speckled or Spotted cloath.
1682. Lond. Gaz., No. 1757/4. A dark-colour’d Stuff Riding-Coat,… and speckled Stockings.
1708. Sewel, II. Spekkige boter of kaas, speckled butter or cheese.
1843. J. E. Portlock, Geology, 595. The cavities are lined with green earth, and, from their number and minuteness, give a very speckled appearance to the mass.
1887. Besant, The World went, ii. 15. He wore a common speckled shirt like the watermen’s children.
c. fig. Of sin, vice, etc.: Characterized by, full of, moral blemishes or defects.
1603. Dekker & Chettle, Grissil (Shaks. Soc.), 8. Before my soul look black with speckled sin My hands shall make me pale death’s underling.
1608. Day, Law Trickes, I. i. Her credit is more foule Than speckled scandall or black murders soule.
1629. Milton, Hymn Nativ., xiv. And speckl’d vanity Will sicken soon and die.
1664. Duchess of Newcastle, Sociable Lett., xv. Being unspotted, and free from that speckled Vice.
d. colloq. Of a mixed character or nature; motley.
1845. S. Judd, Margaret, I. x. 65. It was a singularly freaked and speckled group.
1909. Daily Chron., 16 Dec., 7/1. They are certainly not all desirable, taken separately. It must be owned that they are usually a speckled lot.
3. In the specific names of birds, fishes, animals, etc. (see quots. and the sbs.).
A number of moth names are given in Rennie, Consp. Butterfl. & Moths (1832).
(a) 1888. G. Trumbull, Names Birds, 11. American White-fronted goose,… Laughing goose,… known in various parts of the West as Prairie Brant, *Speckled Belly, and *Speckled Brant.
1781. Latham, Gen. Synop. Birds, I. I. 97. *Speckled Buzzard,… in shape like our common Buzzard.
1884. Coues, N. Amer. Birds, 276. Catherpes mexicanus conspersus, *Speckled Cañon Wren.
1678. Ray, Willughby’s Ornith., III. 341. The greatest *speckled Diver or Loon: Colymbus maximus caudatus.
1785. Latham, Gen. Synop. Birds, III. II. 341. Speckled Diver, Colymbus stellatus.
1894. Heslop, Northumbld. Words, Speckled-Diver, the young of the red-throated diver, Colymbis septentrionalis.
1815. Stephens, in Shaw’s Gen. Zool., IX. II. 438. *Speckled Finch (Fringilla bononiensis).
1785. Latham, Gen. Synop. Birds, III. I. 266. *Speckled Gallinule … frequents the marshes of Germany.
1678. Ray, Willughby’s Ornith., III. 283. The greater *speckled or red Heron of Aldrovand.
1785. Latham, Gen. Synop. Birds, III. II. 341. Greatest *speckled Loon…. This bird is pretty frequent in England.
1772. Phil. Trans., LXII. 383. *Speckled Partridge Hawk, at Hudson’s Bay. The name is derived from its feeding on the birds of the Grous tribe, commonly called partridges, at Hudson’s Bay.
1668. Charleton, Onomast., 78. Passeres Maculatus,… the *speckled Sparrow, with a yellow tail.
1783. Latham, Gen. Synop. Birds, II. I. 255. Speckled Sparrow…. Back, and rump, black, white, and yellowish, mixed. Ibid., 87. *Speckled Thrush,… speckled with small numerous brown spots.
(b) 1836. Yarrell, Brit. Fishes, II. 164. The *Speckled Cod is frequently taken in the weirs at Swansea.
1881. Day, Fishes Gt. Brit., I. 278. Turton’s ‘speckled cod’ may have been so coloured due to disease.
1804. Shaw, Gen. Zool., V. II. 417. *Speckled File-fish, Balistes Punctatus.
1884. Goode, Nat. Hist. Aquat. Anim., 263. *Speckled Garrupa (Sebastichthys nebulosus …).
1863. Couch, Brit. Fishes, II. 170. *Speckled Goby (Gobius reticulatus, Cuvier) … is known in the Mediterranean.
1888. Goode, Amer. Fishes, 56. ‘Marsh Bass’ … and *‘Speckled Hen’ are other names applied to one or both species [of bass].
1672. *Speckled Hound-fish [see HOUND-FISH 2].
1876. Goode, Fishes Bermudas, 72. Gymnothorax moringa, *Speckled Maray.
1884. [see MORAY].
1888. Goode, Amer. Fishes, 71. Pomoxys annularis … has other names of local application as … ‘Goggle Eye,’ *‘Speckled Perch.’
1882. Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis Fishes N. Amer., 320. Salvelinus fontinalis, Brook Trout; *Speckled Trout.
1884. Goode, Nat. Hist. Aquat. Anim., 504. The Dolly Varden Trout—Salvelinus malma.… This species is known in the mountains as ‘Lake Trout,’ ‘Bull Trout,’ ‘Speckled Trout.’
1804. Shaw, Gen. Zool., V. II. 428. *Speckled Trunk-Fish, Ostracion Meleagris.
(c) 1797. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), IV. 306/2. The Axis, or *Speckled Deer, has slender trifurcated horns.
c. 1880. Cassell’s Nat. Hist., IV. 253. China yields the *Speckled Emys.
1802. Shaw, Gen. Zool., III. II. 581. *Speckled Slow-Worm, Anguis Meleagris;… nearly allied to the common Slow-Worm. Ibid., I. 30. Testudo Europæa.… The *speckled Tortoise is of rather small size.
1831. Griffith, trans. Cuvier, IX. 11. The Speckled Tortoise, Testudo Europæa.
1884. Goode, Nat. Hist. Aquat. Anim., 158. The ‘Spotted Tortoise’ or *‘Speckled Turtle,’ Chelopus guttatus.
b. Speckled wood, a variety of wood having speckled markings; esp. the South American snake-wood or letter-wood, Brosimum Aubletii. Also speckled osier (see quot. 1885).
1656. Act Commw. c. 20 Rates (1658), 476. Log-wood … Speckled-wood.
1663. Gerbier, Counsel Builders (1664), 109. What extent of Land about Surrenam is beset with speckled wood.
1703. Dampier, Voy., III. I. 55. Here are Dye-woods, as Fustick, &c. with Woods for other uses, as speckled Wood, Brazil, &c.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 745. A beautiful piece of speckled wood, made use of in cabinet work.
1843. Holtzapffel, Turning, I. 106. Snake wood, Letter or Speckled wood, is used at Demerara, Surinam and along the banks of the Orinoko, for the bows of the Indians.
1885. C. G. W. Lock, Workshop Rec., Ser. IV. 277/1. The best variety [of the Salix viminalis] is known under several names, as … the … blotched osier, and speckled osier.
4. Comb., as speckled-faced, -tailed adjs.
1884. Coues, N. Amer. Birds, 278. Thryothorus bewicki spilurus, Speckled-tailed Wren.
1884. Daily News, 10 Dec., 3/1. The black or speckled-faced class [of sheep].
1886. Pall Mall Gaz., 7 Dec., 10/2. Fat wether sheep, of any blackfaced or speckledfaced mountain breed.
Hence Speckledness, the state of being speckled; spottiness.
1611. Cotgr., Haglure, the maile (or specklednesse) of the coat of a hawke.
1665. Hooke, Microgr., 200. The speckledness of his shell.
1727. Bailey (vol. II.), Speckledness, Spottedness.
