---
title: speck — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «speck» in the school dictionary: A speck is a very small spot, mark or piece of something, like dust or dirt. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# speck

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** speck, it, plane, She, boat, I · **What happens:** be, mark, look, mean, suppose, expect · **To what, where:** small spot, old country speech, speck, tiny speck, microscope, horizon · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«speck» in the school dictionary: its 3 meanings for a pupil and its 7 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [speck in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/speck.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A speck is a very small spot, mark or piece of something, like dust or dirt.

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:speck:m1:1
# text = A speck is a very small spot, mark or piece of something, like dust or dirt.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	speck	speck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
5	very	very	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	spot	spot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
9	mark	mark	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	7	parataxis	_	_
10	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	piece	piece	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	11	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
15	like	like	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
16	dust	dust	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nmod	_	_
17	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
18	dirt	dirt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a speck | a small spot or piece of something |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **mark** | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn image\_impression-25.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Something so far away that it looks like a tiny dot.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:speck:m2:1
# text = Something so far away that it looks like a tiny dot.
1	Something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	0	root	_	_
2	so	so	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
3	far	far	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	4	advmod	_	_
4	away	away	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	_
5	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
6	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
7	looks	look	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
8	like	like	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	tiny	tiny	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	dot	dot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **look** | present | it |  |  |  |  | like a tiny dot | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Stimulus |

## Meaning 3 {#m3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In old country speech, speck means to suppose or expect.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:speck:m3:1
# text = In old country speech, speck means to suppose or expect.
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
2	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
3	country	country	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
4	speech	speech	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
6	speck	speck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	suppose	suppose	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	ccomp	_	_
10	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	expect	expect	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | speck |  |  | old country speech |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **suppose** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-2 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **expect** | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
There is a speck of dirt on your glasses.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:speck:x1:1
# text = There is a speck of dirt on your glasses.
1	There	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	2	expl	_	_
2	is	be	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	speck	speck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	dirt	dirt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
7	on	on	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	glasses	glass	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **be** | present | a speck of dirt on your glasses |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The plane became a speck in the sky.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:speck:x2:1
# text = The plane became a speck in the sky.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	plane	plane	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	became	become	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	speck	speck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	xcomp	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	sky	sky	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **become** | past | the plane | a speck in the sky |  |  |  |  | vn become-109.1-1-1 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Patient |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Not a speck of dust was left after cleaning.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:speck:x3:1
# text = Not a speck of dust was left after cleaning.
1	Not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	3	advmod	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	speck	speck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	dust	dust	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
6	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	left	leave	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
8	after	after	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
9	cleaning	clean	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	7	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **leave** | past · passive |  | a speck of dust |  |  |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **clean** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She saw a tiny speck under the microscope.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:speck:x4:1
# text = She saw a tiny speck under the microscope.
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	saw	see	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	tiny	tiny	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	speck	speck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	under	under	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	microscope	microscope	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **see** | past | She | a tiny speck |  | the microscope |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer speck=Stimulus |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The boat was just a speck on the horizon.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:speck:x5:1
# text = The boat was just a speck on the horizon.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	boat	boat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	just	just	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	speck	speck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	on	on	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	horizon	horizon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | the boat | a speck |  | the horizon |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
There is a speck of paint on the window.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:speck:x6:1
# text = There is a speck of paint on the window.
1	There	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	2	expl	_	_
2	is	be	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	speck	speck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	paint	paint	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
7	on	on	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	window	window	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **be** | present | a speck of paint on the window |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
I speck he takin' a nap,' sezee.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:speck:x7:1
# text = I speck he takin' a nap,' sezee.
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	speck	speck	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	takin	takin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	'	'	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	nap	nap	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	'	'	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	_
10	sezee	sezee	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **speck** | present | I | a nap and sezee |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **takin** |  | he |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

<!-- pn -->
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