Besprinkled

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Completely or partially covered with small drops or particles of liquid or other substances
2. adorned or embellished with scattered flecks or spots of color or texture
3. marked by an uneven distribution of tiny dots or sprays that create a decorative or functional effect

Etymology: "Besprinkled" is a simple combination of two English parts: the prefix "be-", which in Middle English meant "on, about, around, upon, all over," and "sprinkled," the past participle of "sprinkle." Put together, the word describes something that has had things scattered over its surface, all over, as if the sprinkling covered it entirely. The earlier Middle English forms show the same pattern in their spelling variants, such as "by-sprenkled" and "besprengild," which show the prefix and the participle joined before the modern spelling settled. The prefix "be-" was a productive way to build verbs and participial adjectives in older English, so "besprinkled" fits a familiar pattern rather than being a rare coinage.

Synonyms: sprinkled, dotted