sprinkle
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to drop small amounts of a liquid or a dry substance over something.
v.to scatter small drops of liquid or fine particles of a solid substance over a surface.
Simple“Sprinkle a little salt over the potatoes before you put them in the oven.”
In context“The chef instructed the trainees to sprinkle the finely chopped herbs evenly across the dish to ensure a balanced flavour profile.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'over' or 'on'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to rain very lightly, often for a short time.
v.to rain in very fine, light drops; typically used impersonally with 'it'.
Simple“It started to sprinkle just as we arrived at the park for our picnic.”
In context“Although it began to sprinkle during the outdoor ceremony, the guests remained in their seats as the clouds showed no sign of a heavy downpour.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
n.tiny, colourful pieces of sugar used to decorate cakes and cookies.
n.small, often multi-coloured pieces of confectionery used as a decorative topping for desserts.
Simple“The children wanted extra chocolate sprinkles on their ice cream cones.”
In context“The bakery specialises in custom cupcakes topped with gold-leaf sprinkles and hand-piped buttercream frosting.”
UsageUsually used in the plural form.
Synonymshundreds and thousandsjimmies - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n. a very light and brief period of rain.
n.a brief and light fall of rain, less intense than a shower.
Simple“We didn't need umbrellas because it was just a light sprinkle.”
In context“A sudden sprinkle dampened the pavement, but the heat of the afternoon sun dried it within minutes.”
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.