Mottled With: Standard Pattern
Mottled With: Standard Pattern records a directly evidenced English construction and keeps the guidance bounded to the attested complement rather than turning one documented pattern into a universal preposition rule.
Use “mottled with” when a surface, colour, or material is marked with spots, patches, or areas of another colour or shade.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| a surface or material marked by mixed spots, patches, or shades | mottled with + noun phrase | Use the attested “mottled with” construction. |
| the thing supplying the spots, patches, or contrasting colour | object of with | Put the marking/colour after “with.” |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you describing a surface or material that shows patches or areas of another colour or shade?
If yes: Use “mottled with” and name the markings after “with.”
If no: If you mean a different relationship, choose the preposition required by that separate construction.
Caveat: This guide covers the attested mixed-patch or colour-marking construction; it does not claim that “mottled” can only appear with “with.”
Examples
The stone was mottled with gray and brown patches.
“With” introduces the contrasting markings on the surface.
The leaves were mottled with pale yellow areas.
The complement names the areas that create the mottled appearance.
The shell is mottled with darker spots.
The construction links the mottled surface to the visible markings.
Further guidance
Construction
Use “mottled with” when a surface, colour, or material is marked with spots, patches, or areas of another colour or shade.
Style Boundary
Collins dictionary editorial text directly uses “mottled with.” This page stays with the attested mixed-patch or colour-marking construction.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- guinea fowl — Collins English Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Collins Dictionary · Collins dictionary editorial definition using the exact “mottled with” construction for plumage.