Uncertain. The adjective is first attested circa 1550 though the first element is already attested in dapple-grey as early as 1386, in Middle English, and later as dappled circa 1400; the OED suggests either:
* a back-formation from dapple-grey, itself a variant of apple-grey, compare possible cognates all said of horses: Old Norse apalgrár (whence Norwegian abildgrå and Swedish apel-grå), German apfelgrau. Compare also French pommelé (“dappled”), from pomme (“an apple”); or,
* a relation with Icelandic depill (“a dot, spot”).
The noun and verb are both later attested likely as back-formations.
Meanings
Having a mottled or spotted skin or coat, dappled.
I was on a running Morgan that could leave anything in six counties behind, and all she had was that short-hocked dapple pony. 1984, Dan Parkinson, Gunpowder Glory, page 103:
Some dapple mists still floated along the peaks. 1815 February 24, [Walter Scott], Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and Archibald Constable and Co., […], →OCLC:
Forms
Spelling
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most dapple
Degree=Sup
lexicographic
more dapple
Degree=Cmp
lexicographic
Translations (18)
bg петнист (having a spotted skin or coat) · fr taché (having a spotted skin or coat) · de scheckig (having a spotted skin or coat) · fr tacheté (having a spotted skin or coat) · ru чуба́рый (having a spotted skin or coat) · bg пъстър (having a spotted skin or coat) · fi laikukas (having a spotted skin or coat) · sv apelkastad (having a spotted skin or coat) · es moteado (having a spotted skin or coat) · de fleckig (having a spotted skin or coat) · de sprenglig (having a spotted skin or coat) · es tordo (having a spotted skin or coat) · es habado (having a spotted skin or coat) · ru пятни́стый (having a spotted skin or coat) · ar أَبْرَش (having a spotted skin or coat) · de sprenglich (having a spotted skin or coat) · de sprenklich (having a spotted skin or coat) · ru в яблоках (having a spotted skin or coat)
Uncertain. The adjective is first attested circa 1550 though the first element is already attested in dapple-grey as early as 1386, in Middle English, and later as dappled circa 1400; the OED suggests either:
* a back-formation from dapple-grey, itself a variant of apple-grey, compare possible cognates all said of horses: Old Norse apalgrár (whence Norwegian abildgrå and Swedish apel-grå), German apfelgrau. Compare also French pommelé (“dappled”), from pomme (“an apple”); or,
* a relation with Icelandic depill (“a dot, spot”).
The noun and verb are both later attested likely as back-formations.
Meanings
A mottled marking, usually in clusters.
An animal with a mottled or spotted skin or coat.
2004, D Caroline Coile, http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN0764126733&id=vmTgPakg8nUC&pg=PA21&lpg=PA21&sig=5r0UWTYWxGcZayQlGiP4v3b1ajU
Some well-intentioned breeders inadvertently breed two dapples together because occasionally a dapple will have so few patches of mottled coloration it appears undappled.
A Sarronnese officer whom he did not know was leading a riderless horse, a dapple. 1996, L E Modesitt, The Order War:
“My brother,” said he, “do not ride to–day / The dapple, as you’re wont; but mount the horse / Which I have chosen for thee. 1800, Samuel Taylor Coleridge tr., Friedrich von Schiller, The Death of Wallenstein, http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN1419158775&id=bXOEL5RL6DsC&pg=PA64&lpg=PA64&sig=9x8UPZTbcIMkCOkMCSHT1YEwX9M 2004
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
dapples
Number=Plur
lexicographic
Translations (7)
es animal de piel moteada (dappled animal) · de Schecke (dappled animal) · ru пятнистая окра́ска (mottled marking) · es tordo (dappled animal) · fi laikku (mottled marking) · fi papurikko (dappled animal) · fi laikukas (eläin) (dappled animal)
Uncertain. The adjective is first attested circa 1550 though the first element is already attested in dapple-grey as early as 1386, in Middle English, and later as dappled circa 1400; the OED suggests either:
* a back-formation from dapple-grey, itself a variant of apple-grey, compare possible cognates all said of horses: Old Norse apalgrár (whence Norwegian abildgrå and Swedish apel-grå), German apfelgrau. Compare also French pommelé (“dappled”), from pomme (“an apple”); or,
* a relation with Icelandic depill (“a dot, spot”).
The noun and verb are both later attested likely as back-formations.
Meanings
To mark or become marked with mottling or spots.
Kris awoke with a start. Sweat dappled his forehead, and he brushed it away. 2006, Ace Edmonds, Bands, Part 2:
Jt ſeemes it is in faſhion vvith you to ſugar your papers vvith Carnation phraſes, and dapple your ſpeeches vvith nevv quodled vvords. 1647, Theodore de la Guard [pseudonym; Nathaniel Ward], The Simple Cobler of Aggawam in America. […], London: […] J[ohn] D[ever] & R[obert] I[bbitson] for Stephen Bowtell, […], →OCLC, page 77:
dappling black on white with uneven strokes 1971, Gwen White, Antique Toys And Their Background, page 75:
ru капризничать (to mark with spots) · bg изпъстрям се (to mark with spots) · ru пятнить (to mark with spots) · de sprenkeln (to mark with spots) · bg изпъстрям (to mark with spots) · ru покрываться пятнами (to mark with spots) · ru запятнать (to mark with spots) · ru пятнать (to mark with spots) · ru чудить (to mark with spots) · de scheckig machen (to mark with spots) · ru пятниться (to mark with spots) · ru пятнаться (to mark with spots) · ru дурачиться (to mark with spots) · de besprenkeln (to mark with spots) · ru покрыва́ть пятнами (to mark with spots) · fr tacheter (to mark with spots) · es salpicar (to mark with spots) · ca clapejar (to mark with spots) · ru испятнать (to mark with spots) · es motear (to mark with spots) · ru испятнаться (to mark with spots) · ru запятнаться (to mark with spots) · de betüpfeln (to mark with spots)