Speckled means covered with small spots or marks of a different color, like paint splattered lightly across a surface. A speckled bird egg might be pale blue with tiny brown dots scattered across its shell. A speckled trout has dark spots dotting its silvery sides.

The spots that make something speckled are usually small, numerous, and randomly distributed, not in any particular pattern. A speckled banana has little brown freckles on its yellow peel. A speckled notebook might have tiny flecks of color mixed into its cardboard cover. Artists sometimes create a speckled effect by flicking paint off a brush with their finger, sending tiny droplets across a canvas.

You'll often see this word describing natural things: speckled stones on a beach, a speckled hen with white feathers dotted with black, or even someone's speckled complexion if they have freckles. The word has a gentle, almost cheerful feeling to it, suggesting something interesting to look at rather than something messy or flawed.