Sprinkle Meaning
/ˈspɹɪŋkəl/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo cause (a substance) to fall in fine drops (for a liquid substance) or small pieces (for a solid substance).
verbTo cover (an object) by sprinkling a substance on to it.
Sentence Examples
We sprinkle salt for purification.
It began to sprinkle.
We sprinkle salt to ward off bad luck.
CEFR Practice Quiz
She will ____ salt onto the salad to give it extra flavor.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Don't forget to ____ a little bit of cinnamon on top of the apple pie before you put it in the oven.
Word Origin & History
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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"And the priest shall[…]sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord."
— 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Leviticus 14:16:
"At twilight in the summer[…]the mice come out. They[…]eat the luncheon crumbs. Mr. Checkly, for instance, always brought his dinner in a paper parcel in his coat-tail pocket, and ate it when so disposed, sprinkling crumbs lavishly[…]on the floor."
— 1892, Walter Besant, chapter II, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
"Over the centuries the movement of clans and tribes of people has provided the kind of crop that would emerge if a blind god had sprinkled seeds at random on a field[.]"
— 1985, Robert Burchfield, The English Language, Oxford: Oxford University Press, page 137:
"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."
— 2005, Justus Roux, Who's Your Daddy?, page 66:
"having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience"
— 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Hebrews 10:22:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
She will ____ salt onto the salad to give it extra flavor.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Don't forget to ____ a little bit of cinnamon on top of the apple pie before you put it in the oven.