speck C2+ Topic:General Vocabulary US /spɛk/ UK /spɛk/ See IPA manual Homophones spec /spɛk/ Meanings 1 noun a tiny spot or particle A speck of dust floated in the sunbeam. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a tiny spot or particle spotparticledotmotefleckspecklebit Word family Forms speckless Derived forms specklespecked Related forms speckle Etymology AI details From Old English specca ('small spot, mark'), of uncertain further origin but related to West Germanic forms denoting a spot. specca Old English View etymology graph -> Topics General Vocabulary External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # speck **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /spɛk/ **IPA (UK):** /spɛk/ ## Meanings 1. a tiny spot or particle ## Examples - A speck of dust floated in the sunbeam. ## Synonyms - spot - particle - dot - mote - fleck - speckle - bit ## Derived Forms - speckle - specked ## Related Forms - speckle ## Roots and Affixes - Root: specca ## Etymology From Old English specca ('small spot, mark'), of uncertain further origin but related to West Germanic forms denoting a spot. ## AI Etymology Speck comes from Old English specca ('small spot, mark'), of uncertain further origin but related to West Germanic forms denoting a spot. The form is best read as a historical transfer or inheritance, with its older language material carrying the main semantic load. As a noun and verb, it denotes "a tiny spot or particle", keeping the historical idea close to its dictionary sense. Relevant historical forms include Old English specca. Derivative forms include speckle, specked; related words include speckle. ## Topics - General Vocabulary markdown