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sprinkle

/ˈspɹɪŋkəl/ verb

In Latin: spargō, aspergō Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about sprinkle at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. To cause (a substance) to fall in fine drops (for a liquid substance) or small pieces (for a solid substance).
    The confectioner sprinkled icing sugar over the cakes.
  2. To cover (an object) by sprinkling a substance on to it.
    The confectioner sprinkled the cakes with icing sugar.
  3. To drip in fine drops, sometimes sporadically.
    It sprinkled outside all day long.

noun

  1. A light covering with a sprinkled substance.
    He decorated the Christmas card with a sprinkle of glitter.
  2. A light rain shower.
  3. An aspersorium or utensil for sprinkling.

Origin

From Middle English sprenkelen, sprynklen, from Middle Dutch sprenkelen, equivalent to sprink + -le (frequentative suffix). Cognate with Dutch sprenkelen (“to sprinkle”), German Low German sprenkeln (“to sprinkle; dapple”), German sprenkeln (“to sprinkle”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)