Adjacent Words

Sprinkling definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SPRINKLING, ppr.
1. Dispersing, as a liquid or as dust.
2. Scattering on, in fine drops or particles.
SPRINKLING, n.
1. The act of scattering in small drops or parcels.
2. A small quantity falling in distinct drops or parts, or coming moderately; as a sprinkling of rain or snow.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a small number (of something) dispersed haphazardly; "the first scatterings of green"; "a sprinkling of grey at his temples" [syn: scattering, sprinkling]
2: a light shower that falls in some locations and not others nearby [syn: scattering, sprinkle, sprinkling]
3: the act of sprinkling water in baptism (rare) [syn: aspersion, sprinkling]
4: the act of sprinkling or splashing water; "baptized with a sprinkling of holy water"; "a sparge of warm water over the malt" [syn: sprinkle, sprinkling, sparge]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 1594 1. a limited quantity or amount ; modicum 2. a small quantity falling in scattered drops or particles 3. a small number distributed at random ; scattering

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (usu. foll. by of) a small thinly distributed number or amount.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sprinkling Sprin"kling, n. 1. The act of one who, or that which, sprinkles. Baptism may well enough be performed by sprinkling or effusion of water. --Ayliffe. 2. A small quantity falling in distinct drops or particles; as, a sprinkling of rain or snow. 3. Hence, a moderate number or quantity distributed like drops. --Craik.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sprinkle Sprin"kle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sprinkled; p. pr. & vb. n. Sprinkling.] [OE. sprenkelen, freq. of sprengen to sprinkle, to scatter, AS. sprengan, properly, to make to spring, causative of springan to spring; akin to D. sprenkelen to sprinkle, G. sprengen. See Spring, v. i., and cf. Sprent.] 1. To scatter in small drops or particles, as water, seed, etc. 2. To scatter on; to disperse something over in small drops or particles; to besprinkle; as, to sprinkle the earth with water; to sprinkle a floor with sand. 3. 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. --Heb. x. 22.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

A sprinkling of something is a small quantity or amount of it, especially if it is spread over a large area. ...a light sprinkling of snow... N-SING: usu N of n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Affusion.

Moby Thesaurus

a few, affusion, aspergation, aspersion, attenuation, baptism, baptismal gown, baptismal regeneration, baptistery, baptizement, bath, bathing, bedewing, broadcast, broadcasting, cast, chrismal, christening, circumfusion, dampening, damping, dash, deluge, dewing, diffraction, diffusion, dilution, dispensation, dispersal, dispersion, dissemination, dissipation, distribution, divergence, drowning, dust, evaporation, expansion, few, flooding, font, fragmentation, gleam, handful, hint, hosing, hosing down, humidification, idea, immersion, infusion, inkling, intimation, inundation, irrigation, laving, lick, limited number, look, moistening, only a few, peppering, piddling few, piddling number, powdering, propagation, publication, radiation, rinsing, sauce, scattering, scatterment, scintilla, seasoning, shade, shadow, shotgun pattern, sip, smack, small number, smatter, smattering, smell, soupcon, sowing, sparging, spark, spatter, spattering, spice, splashing, splattering, splay, spraying, spread, spreading, strain, streak, strewing, submersion, suggestion, sup, suspicion, swashing, taint, taste, tempering, thought, tinct, tincture, tinge, tint, too few, total immersion, touch, trace, trickle, vestige, volatilization, watering, wetting