Part 624

Speck falls (Naut.), falls or ropes rove through blocks for hoisting the blubber and bone of whales on board a whaling vessel.

Speck, n. [OE. spekke, AS. specca; cf. LG. spaak.] 1. A small discolored place in or on anything, or a small place of a color different from that of the main substance; a spot; a stain; a blemish; as, a speck on paper or loth; specks of decay in fruit. "Gray sand, with black specks." Anson.

2. A very small thing; a particle; a mite; as, specks of dust; he has not a speck of money.

Many bright specks bubble up along the blue Egean.

Landor.

3. (Zoöl.) A small etheostomoid fish (Ulocentra stigmæa) common in the Eastern United States.

Speck, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Specked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Specking.] To cause the presence of specks upon or in, especially specks regarded as defects or blemishes; to spot; to speckle; as, paper specked by impurities in the water used in its manufacture.

Carnation, purple, azure, or specked with gold.

Milton.

Spec"kle (?), n. [Dim. of speck; cf. D. spikkel.] A little or spot in or anything, of a different substance or color from that of the thing itself.

An huge great serpent, all with speckles pied.

Spebser.

Spec"kle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Speckled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Speckling (?).] To mark with small spots of a different color from that of the rest of the surface; to variegate with spots of a different color from the ground or surface.

Spec"kled (?), a. Marked or variegated with small spots of a different color from that of the rest of the surface.

Speckled Indians (Ethnol.), the Pintos. -- Speckled trout. (Zoöl.) (a) The common American brook trout. See Trout. (b) The rainbow trout.

Spec"kled-bel`ly (?), n. (Zoöl.) The gadwall. [Local, U.S.]

Spec"kled-bill" (?), n. (Zoöl.) The American white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons).

Spec"kled*ness, n. The quality of being speckled.

Speck`sion*eer" (?), n. The chief harpooner, who also directs in cutting up the speck, or blubber; -- so called among whalers.

Speckt (?), n. A woodpecker. See Speight.

Spec"ta*cle (?), n. [F., fr. L. spectaculum, fr. spectare to look at, to behold, v. intens. fr. specere. See Spy.] 1. Something exhibited to view; usually, something presented to view as extraordinary, or as unusual and worthy of special notice; a remarkable or noteworthy sight; a show; a pageant; a gazingstock.

O, piteous spectacle? O, bloody times!

Shak.

2. A spy-glass; a looking-glass. [Obs.]

Poverty a spectacle is, as thinketh me, Through which he may his very friends see.

Chaucer.

3. pl. An optical instrument consisting of two lenses set in a light frame, and worn to assist sight, to obviate some defect in the organs of vision, or to shield the eyes from bright light.

4. pl. Fig.: An aid to the intellectual sight.