撒下細小的東西
最原本的手部動作，以及它比喻到寫作與說話上的延伸。
sprinkle, verb, scatter lightly · verb · C2
To scatter small drops of a liquid or small pieces of something over a surface, especially food, so it is thinly covered.
撒／灑
核心畫面
Your hand moves above something and lets small bits fall — salt over an egg, sugar over a cake. The bits land scattered and separate, never in one lump, and the whole surface gets a thin, uneven cover.
手在東西上方輕輕一抖：鹽、糖、水珠一點一點落下去，散開、分開、彼此不相連。重點有兩個——量很少，而且是「分散地落」，…更多收起
手在東西上方輕輕一抖：鹽、糖、水珠一點一點落下去，散開、分開、彼此不相連。重點有兩個——量很少，而且是「分散地落」，不是倒成一坨。所以撒完之後那個表面是薄薄的、東一點西一點的，不是被蓋住。這個「小顆粒零星落下」的感覺，可以把這個字後面所有用法（點綴文章、下小雨）都串起來。From the word’s history
Middle English sprenkelen, from Middle Dutch sprenkelen; the -le ending is a frequentative suffix, marking an action done in many small repeated bits rather than once.
字尾的 -le 是英文裡的「反覆小動作」標記（像 twinkle 一閃一閃、crumble 一塊塊碎），這也解釋了 sprinkle 為什麼天生帶著「一點一點、重複很多次」的味道：它從來不是一次倒完的動作，而是許多細小的落下累積起來的。
Wiktionary (etymology of *sprinkle*, from Middle English *sprenkelen* / Middle Dutch *sprenkelen*, with frequentative *-le*)
Three branches
天空撒下來的水
把撒的那隻手換成天空：落下來的水滴一樣小、一樣分散、一樣量很少。
rain lightly · verb · C2
If it is sprinkling, rain is falling lightly in very small drops.
下小雨
撒下來的那一點量
從動作退一步看結果：被撒在表面上的那一小撮，就是名詞。
small scattered amount · noun · C2
A small amount of something, especially when it is scattered on top of food or another surface.
少許
原始詞典資料10 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
Sprinklename
- 1
A surname.
sprinkleverb/ˈspɹɪŋkəl/
- 1
To cause (a substance) to fall in fine drops (for a liquid substance) or small pieces (for a solid substance).
- The confectioner sprinkled icing sugar over the cakes.
- And the priest shall[…]sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord.
- 2
To cover (an object) by sprinkling a substance on to it.
- The confectioner sprinkled the cakes with icing sugar.
- Most of the passengers watched from the enclosed promenade deck, but Sandra found her way to the higher, open promenade where she shivered and watched the city lights fade and the stars sprinkle themselves across a dark blue velvet sky.
- 3
To drip in fine drops, sometimes sporadically.
- It sprinkled outside all day long.
- 4
To rain very lightly outside.
- It sprinkled very early in the morning.
- 5
To baptize by the application of a few drops, or a small quantity, of water; hence, to cleanse; to purify.
- having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience
sprinklenoun/ˈspɹɪŋkəl/
- 1
A light covering with a sprinkled substance.
- He decorated the Christmas card with a sprinkle of glitter.
- My memory leaves me with a constant and deep burning, my eyes stinging and red from short sprinkles of tears which have been sneaking up on me for days now.
- 2
A light rain shower.
- 3
An aspersorium or utensil for sprinkling.
- 4
A small hard piece of sugar and starch, or chocolate, used to decorate cakes etc.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。