Plural of dapple; multiple spots or patches of color, or the present tense third-person singular of the verb dapple.
From 'dapple' plus plural '-s' or present tense '-s'; follows standard English morphology.
When you see 'dapples' used as a verb—'sunlight dapples the forest floor'—it's one of those gentle, active verbs that English uses to describe natural beauty, giving movement and life to light itself.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.