flyspeck

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   Housefly excrement, visible as a minuscule black dot.

   • The wall of the kitchen above the fruitbowl was dotted with flyspeck.
2. 2

   Anything tiny or insignificant.

   • From the foothills below, Jean, Jan, and James were mere flyspecks, easily lost among the straggly pines that formed the treeline.
   • We passed through some flyspeck town, barely more than a gas station and a stoplight, but I never saw the name.
3. 3

   To bespeckle with tiny spatters of color.

   • To flyspeck, you need an old toothbrush, the paint color of your choice, glazing medium, a palette knife, and a mixing surface such as a palette or plastic container.
4. ›+ 1 more definitionshow fewer

   1. 4

      To inspect in minute detail to ensure that something contains no flaws

      To inspect in minute detail to ensure that something contains no flaws; nitpick.

The neighborhood

• neighborflyblow