Besprent

/bɪˈsprɛnt/ adjective

Definition

Archaic past participle meaning sprinkled or scattered with something; covered in spots or drops.

Etymology

From 'be-' + 'spent' or 'spreng,' related to 'sprinkle.' The word appears in medieval and Renaissance literature as the passive form of an action of scattering.

Kelly Says

You'll find 'besprent' in Chaucer and Spenser, where it paints vivid images—'her gown was besprent with jewels'—and its old-fashioned sound is exactly the point: it creates instant 'ye olde' atmosphere in poetry.

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