A very small mark, spot, or particle of something.
From Middle Dutch 'speckle' or similar Germanic sources, originally meaning 'small spot.' The word entered English around the 15th century and has been used to describe tiny visible particles ever since.
A single speck of dust in your eye triggers a disproportionate response—you can feel a particle 0.01 millimeters across because your cornea has an incredibly dense network of pain receptors compared to other parts of your body.
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