Definitions for speck
spɛkspeck

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:5.0 / 2 votes

1. speck, pinpointnoun

   a very small spot

   "the plane was just a speck in the sky"

2. atom, molecule, particle, corpuscle, mote, specknoun

   (nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything

3. touch, hint, tinge, mite, pinch, jot, speck, soupconverb

   a slight but appreciable amount

   "this dish could use a touch of garlic"

4. speckverb

   produce specks in or on

   "speck the cloth"

WiktionaryRate this definition:2.0 / 2 votes

1. specknoun

   A tiny spot, especially of dirt etc.

   tiny speck of soot

2. specknoun

   A juniper-flavoured ham originally from Tyrol.

3. speckverb

   To mark with specks; to speckle.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Specknoun

   A small discoloration; a spot.

   Etymology: specec , Saxon

   Every speck does not blind a man. Govern. of the Tongue.

   Then are they happy, when
   No speck is left of their habitual stains;
   But the pure æther of the soul remains. John Dryden, Æneid.

2. To Speckverb

   To spot; to stain in drops.

   Flow’r
   Carnation, purple, azure, or speck’d with gold. John Milton.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:4.3 / 3 votes

1. Specknoun

   the blubber of whales or other marine mammals; also, the fat of the hippopotamus

2. Specknoun

   a small discolored place in or on anything, or a small place of a color different from that of the main substance; a spot; a stain; a blemish; as, a speck on paper or loth; specks of decay in fruit

3. Specknoun

   a very small thing; a particle; a mite; as, specks of dust; he has not a speck of money

4. Specknoun

   a small etheostomoid fish (Ulocentra stigmaea) common in the Eastern United States

5. Speckverb

   to cause the presence of specks upon or in, especially specks regarded as defects or blemishes; to spot; to speckle; as, paper specked by impurities in the water used in its manufacture

6. Etymology: [OE. spekke, AS. specca; cf. LG. spaak.]

FreebaseRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Speck

   Speck is a distinctively juniper-flavored ham originally from Tyrol, a historical region that since 1918 partially lies in Italy. Speck's origins at the intersection of two culinary worlds is reflected in its synthesis of salt-curing and smoking. The first historical mention of Speck was in the early 13th century when some of the current production techniques were already in use. Südtiroler Speck is now a protected geographic designation with PGI status. In parts of the English-speaking culinary world, the term "speck" refers to Italian speck, a type of prosciutto, rather than German speck, which is identical to the Italian "lardo". The term "speck" became part of popular parlance only in the eighteenth century and replaced the older term "bachen", a cognate of "bacon". Other varieties with geographical indications include: ⁕Gailtaler Speck from Austria, with PGI status, which has been made since the 15th century in Gailtal in Kärnten. ⁕Tiroler Speck from Austria's Tyrol region, has PGI status, and has been made since at least the 15th century.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Speck

   spek, n. a spot: a blemish: a mark betokening decay: a separate piece or particle, an atom, the least morsel or quantity: a percoid fish of the United States, a darter.—v.t. to spot. [A.S. specca; Low Ger. spakig, spotted with wet.]

2. Speck

   spek, n. fat, lard.—n. Specktioneer′, the chief harpooner in whale-fishing. [A.S. spic, bacon; Ger. speck, Dut. spek, fat.]

Surnames Frequency by Census RecordsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. SPECK

   According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Speck is ranked #5521 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
   
   The Speck surname appeared 6,297 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 would have the surname Speck.
   
   94% or 5,925 total occurrences were White.
   2.3% or 147 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
   1.1% or 72 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.
   1.1% or 72 total occurrences were of two or more races.
   0.7% or 44 total occurrences were Black.
   0.5% or 37 total occurrences were Asian.

Matched Categories

1. • Mark
   • Material
   • Spot

How to pronounce speck?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say speck in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of speck in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of speck in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of speck in a Sentence

1. Richard Gere:

   I have no interest, none, zero, there's not even a speck of me that goes 'boy, 'I'd really want to be a politician,'.

2. Alexander Gauland:

   Hitler and the Nazis are just a speck of bird poop in more than 1,000 years of successful German history, only those who acknowledge the part have the power to shape the future.

Popularity rank by frequency of use