sprinking

Sprinking is a term used in some technical and culinary contexts to describe the light, controlled distribution of small particles or droplets over a surface. It is a relatively obscure, nonstandard term and is not universally defined in standard dictionaries. In practice, sprinking is often treated as a mid-ground concept between dusting (dry particulate deposition) and spraying (wet deposition with higher spread).

Definitions and usage vary by field. In agriculture and horticulture, sprinking may refer to applying micronutrients or protective agents with a fine, low-volume dispersion designed to minimize run-off and leaf damage. In coatings or materials processing, sprinking implies even deposition of pigments or fines using low-pressure devices or vibrating feeders to produce a delicate layer rather than a full spray.

Techniques and equipment: hand-held shakers or sieved sprinklers for dry sprinking; pneumatic or atomizing devices used for wet sprinking; particle size and coverage depend on nozzle design, flow rate, and surface topography. Performance metrics include uniformity of coverage, deposition efficiency, and waste reduction.

History and terminology: The term appears sporadically in vendor literature and online discourse since the early 21st century. Because it lacks a standard definition, readers should consult domain-specific manuals to determine exact meaning in a given context.