sprinkle C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈsprɪŋkəl/ UK /ˈsprɪŋkəl/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 verb to scatter small drops or particles over a surface She sprinkled cinnamon over the warm porridge. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to scatter small drops or... scatterstrewdustsprayshowerdribblespatter ↔ Opposites drenchdousesoak Word family Derived forms sprinklersprinkling Etymology AI details From Middle English sprenkelen, a frequentative probably from Middle Dutch sprenkel ('spot, speckle') or related Germanic forms. sprenkel Middle Dutch View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # sprinkle **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /ˈsprɪŋkəl/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈsprɪŋkəl/ ## Meanings 1. to scatter small drops or particles over a surface ## Examples - She sprinkled cinnamon over the warm porridge. ## Synonyms - scatter - strew - dust - spray - shower - dribble - spatter ## Antonyms - drench - douse - soak ## Derived Forms - sprinkler - sprinkling ## Roots and Affixes - Root: sprenkel ## Etymology From Middle English sprenkelen, a frequentative probably from Middle Dutch sprenkel ('spot, speckle') or related Germanic forms. ## AI Etymology Sprinkle comes from Middle English sprenkelen, a frequentative probably from Middle Dutch sprenkel ('spot, speckle') or related Germanic forms. The historical chain includes Middle Dutch sprenkel. The quoted older sense, "spot, speckle," supplies the immediate semantic anchor for sprinkle. The formation is best read as borrowed: the word sprinkle carries its older form-history into a compact English lexical shape. In present English it is used as a verb, "to scatter small drops or particles over a surface". English derivatives include sprinkler and sprinkling. The result is a verb and noun whose etymology preserves both the older form and the later English specialization. ## Topics - Describing Qualities markdown