sprinkle Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a light shower that falls in some locations and not others nearby
    sprinkling; scattering.
  2. noun the act of sprinkling or splashing water
    sprinkling; sparge.
    • baptized with a sprinkling of holy water
    • a sparge of warm water over the malt
  3. verb distribute loosely
    dust; scatter; dot; disperse.
    • He scattered gun powder under the wagon
  4. verb cause (a liquid) to spatter about, especially with force
    splosh; splash.
    • She splashed the water around her
  5. verb rain gently
    pitter-patter; spatter; patter; spit.
    • It has only sprinkled, but the roads are slick
  6. verb scatter with liquid; wet lightly
    sparge; besprinkle.
    • Sprinkle the lawn

WordNet

Sprin"kle transitive verb
Etymology
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.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Sprinkled ; present participle & verbal noun Sprinkling
Definitions
  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.
Sprin"kle intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To scatter a liquid, or any fine substance, so that it may fall in particles.
    And the priest shall . . . sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord. Lev. xiv. 16.
  2. To rain moderately, or with scattered drops falling now and then; as, it sprinkles.
  3. To fly or be scattered in small drops or particles.
Sprin"kle noun
Definitions
  1. A small quantity scattered, or sparsely distributed; a sprinkling.
  2. A utensil for sprinkling; a sprinkler. Obs.

Webster 1913