sprinkle

verb
/ˈspɹɪŋkəl/

Etymology

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”).

  1. derived from sprenkelen
  2. inherited from sprenkelen

Definitions

  1. To cause (a substance) to fall in fine drops (for a liquid substance) or small pieces…

    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.
    • And the priest shall[…]sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord.
  2. To cover (an object) by sprinkling a substance on to it.

    • The confectioner sprinkled the cakes with icing sugar.
    • Most of the passengers watched from the enclosed promenade deck, but Sandra found her way to the higher, open promenade where she shivered and watched the city lights fade and the stars sprinkle themselves across a dark blue velvet sky.
  3. To drip in fine drops, sometimes sporadically.

    • It sprinkled outside all day long.
  4. + 7 more definitions
    1. To rain very lightly outside.

      • It sprinkled very early in the morning.
    2. To baptize by the application of a few drops, or a small quantity, of water

      To baptize by the application of a few drops, or a small quantity, of water; hence, to cleanse; to purify.

      • having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience
    3. A light covering with a sprinkled substance.

      • He decorated the Christmas card with a sprinkle of glitter.
      • My memory leaves me with a constant and deep burning, my eyes stinging and red from short sprinkles of tears which have been sneaking up on me for days now.
    4. A light rain shower.

    5. An aspersorium or utensil for sprinkling.

    6. A small hard piece of sugar and starch, or chocolate, used to decorate cakes etc.

    7. A surname.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at sprinkle. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01sprinkle02drip03drops04drop05source06ground07sky08clouds09cloud10dust

A definitional loop anchored at sprinkle. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

10 hops · closes at sprinkle

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA