dApple

Dapple is a term used to describe a coat pattern characterized by lighter or darker rounded patches on an animal’s fur. It is most commonly associated with horses, where the pattern appears as soft, circular spots across the body, giving a mottled appearance. A horse described as dappled or dappled has rings or patches of lighter color within a darker base coat. Dappling is often most evident in certain breeds and can become more or less pronounced with seasonal coat changes or aging.

The word originates in English and has been used since the Middle English period to denote such patchwork markings. The exact linguistic origin is uncertain, but the term has long been applied to coats, leather, and other surfaces displaying irregular spots or markings.

Beyond horses, the concept of dappled coloration is used for other animals and even in nature more broadly. In dogs, for example, the term dapple is used to describe coat patterns with irregular patches of lighter or darker pigment, notably in some dachshund breeds. In a broader sense, the adjective dappled is used to describe light that filters through leaves or other structures to produce a speckled pattern on the ground or water.

In common usage, phrases such as “dapple gray” refer to a gray coat with dappling, while “dappled lighting” describes a light pattern created by sunlight passing through objects, producing mottled illumination. The term thus covers both biological coat patterns and descriptive aesthetics in nature and art.