Sprinkling

sprinkling
    n 1: a small number (of something) dispersed haphazardly; "the
         first scatterings of green"; "a sprinkling of grey at his
         temples" [syn: {scattering}, {sprinkling}]
    2: a light shower that falls in some locations and not others
       nearby [syn: {scattering}, {sprinkle}, {sprinkling}]
    3: the act of sprinkling water in baptism (rare) [syn:
       {aspersion}, {sprinkling}]
    4: the act of sprinkling or splashing water; "baptized with a
       sprinkling of holy water"; "a sparge of warm water over the
       malt" [syn: {sprinkle}, {sprinkling}, {sparge}]
    

Sprinkle \Sprin"kle\ (spr[i^][ng]"k'l), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
   {Sprinkled} (-k'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. {Sprinkling}
   (-kl[i^]ng).] [OE. sprenkelen, freq. of sprengen to sprinkle,
   to scatter, AS. sprengan, properly, to make to spring,
   causative of springan to spring; akin to D. sprenkelen to
   sprinkle, G. sprengen. See {Spring}, v. i., and cf.
   {Sprent}.]
   1. To scatter in small drops or particles, as water, seed,
      etc.
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   2. To scatter on; to disperse something over in small drops
      or particles; to besprinkle; as, to sprinkle the earth
      with water; to sprinkle a floor with sand.
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   3. To baptize by the application of a few drops, or a small
      quantity, of water; hence, to cleanse; to purify.
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            Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience.
                                                  --Heb. x. 22.
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Sprinkling \Sprin"kling\ (-kl[i^]ng), n.
   1. The act of one who, or that which, sprinkles.
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            Baptism may well enough be performed by sprinkling
            or effusion of water.                 --Ayliffe.
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   2. A small quantity falling in distinct drops or particles;
      as, a sprinkling of rain or snow.
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   3. Hence, a moderate number or quantity distributed like
      separate drops, or as if scattered like drops. --Craik.
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121 Moby Thesaurus words for "sprinkling":
      a few, affusion, aspergation, aspersion, attenuation, baptism,
      baptismal gown, baptismal regeneration, baptistery, baptizement,
      bath, bathing, bedewing, broadcast, broadcasting, cast, chrismal,
      christening, circumfusion, dampening, damping, dash, deluge,
      dewing, diffraction, diffusion, dilution, dispensation, dispersal,
      dispersion, dissemination, dissipation, distribution, divergence,
      drowning, dust, evaporation, expansion, few, flooding, font,
      fragmentation, gleam, handful, hint, hosing, hosing down,
      humidification, idea, immersion, infusion, inkling, intimation,
      inundation, irrigation, laving, lick, limited number, look,
      moistening, only a few, peppering, piddling few, piddling number,
      powdering, propagation, publication, radiation, rinsing, sauce,
      scattering, scatterment, scintilla, seasoning, shade, shadow,
      shotgun pattern, sip, smack, small number, smatter, smattering,
      smell, soupcon, sowing, sparging, spark, spatter, spattering,
      spice, splashing, splattering, splay, spraying, spread, spreading,
      strain, streak, strewing, submersion, suggestion, sup, suspicion,
      swashing, taint, taste, tempering, thought, tinct, tincture, tinge,
      tint, too few, total immersion, touch, trace, trickle, vestige,
      volatilization, watering, wetting